Vidalia — It was another close call for the Vidalia High School Vikings as they held on for a 62-60 win against Sicily Island High School Tuesday.

Isiah Thompson continued to be Vidalia’s top gun as he scorched the net with 28 points in the win. Julius Wilson added a productive 10 points for the Vikings as well.

Devion Dunbar and Javante Smith both scored 17 points for the Tigers.

Both teams came out with high intensity, as the first field goal wasn’t scored until the 6:39 mark when Thompson hit a running floater while being fouled. He made the free throw for a three-point play to take a 3-2 lead.

The lead jumped back and forth until Wilson tied the score at 10 with a steal and a lay up with 1:20 to go, followed by a Wilson floater that gave the Vikings at 12-10 lead after one.

Sicily Island took the lead in the second quarter as Ladarius Frazier received a nice dish from Kendrick Carr under the basket to take a 22-21 lead with 2:55 left in the half.

That lead was short lived as Thompson’s wing three-pointer put the Vikings ahead 27-24, but four unanswered points gave the Tigers a 28-27 advantage heading into halftime.

Vidalia stayed behind in the third quarter as they were outscored 16-15, but a strong fourth quarter helped the Vikings tough it out.

Vidalia was ahead by five points with under a minute to go when the Tigers refused to go away and inch back within two points, but the Vikings held on for the win.

Vidalia head coach Robert Sanders said they have managed to get away with a number of close games this season and it shows his team’s maturity.

“I think it shows heart,” Sanders said. “We’ve had a lot of close games in district last year that we lost and one of those teams we are going against Friday (Caldwell Parish High School), so this should give us confidence going into district.”

Sanders said though he was pleased with the win, there is still a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time.

“We still are not where we should be, but hopefully that will turn around by Friday,” Sanders said. “We have to focus on playing defense a little better on (Caldwell Parish’s) shooters.”

The Vikings play Caldwell Parish at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Avoyelles girls 66, Vidalia girls 38

The Vidalia High School Lady Vikings stayed in the game as long as they could before running out of gas in the fourth quarter to suffer a 66-38 defeat against Avoyelles High School.

Shermel Bell led the Lady Vikings in scoring with nine points as Bre’Honor Harris tallied seven points in the loss. Avoyelles had three players score in double figures.

Avoyelles started the game off in an extended 2-1-2-zone defense that gave Vidalia immediate problems.

The Lady Vikings got their first score at the 7-minute mark on a wing three-pointer from Bell, 5-3.

Avoyelles went up 18-9 by the end of the first quarter, and extended that lead to 11 in the second half, 28-17.

The Lady Vikings were able to stay in the game with both Harris and Taylor Wilson putting up five points a piece for a 16-point third quarter, 44-33.

Though the game was still within reach, the chance of winning was dimming in the fourth quarter as Avoyelles came out in an aggressive full-court press to go on an early 9-0 run to go up 53-33.

Vidalia had no more fight left in them, as they were downed 66-38.

Vidalia plays again at 6 p.m. Friday against Caldwell Parish High School.