Villa Angela-St. Joseph coach Ashen Ward called the Vikings’ Feb. 7 matchup with visiting Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin a “must-win.” Not only was VASJ looking to snap a three-game losing skid, but it was also alumni night at the Viking Village, with many former Viking basketball standouts and ot her alumni on hand as part of a large and vocal crowd. Battling through a tight, back-and-forth battle for three quarters, VASJ (9-8) took control for good with a 28-point fourth quarter, building its lead as high as 12 points before finishing with an 88-81 victory. “Definition of a must-win for us,” Ward said. “Not in terms of seeding, but just in terms of believing in what we do. I thought it was great to come out with the win. “Kudos to NDCL, they had a great game plan. It was back and forth, but our guys made a couple extra plays down the stretch that made the difference.” @vasj_basketball Coach Ashen Ward, a Viking alum, talks about VASJ’s 88-81 win over NDCL on Alumni Night pic.twitter.com/m7vQVvBhKQ — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) February 8, 2026 The Vikings finished with four players in double figures, paced by 6-foot-6 junior OJ Spikes, who scored 28 points with seven rebounds. “In the first half, we came out a little slow,” Spikes said. “At halftime, we had a great talk with the coach and players about what we needed to do. We knew when we get back out there that we had to put up a fight.” @vasj_basketball junior OJ Spikes (28 points) goes over the Vikings’ 88-81 win over visiting NDCL on Alumni Night pic.twitter.com/TVnu0vauuA — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) February 8, 2026 NDCL (7-10) held the upper hand in the first quarter, and ended up on top of a back-and-forth battle in the second going into halftime. The Lions took an early, 7-2 lead, and were up 21-15 at the end of the first frame, led by 6-foot-6, 230-pound Brendan Vernon, who was unstoppable early on with drives and spin moves for layups in the paint. The Vikings were 15 of 31 from the field in the first half, going 2 for 13 on 3s. Nevertheless, they steadily chipped away at the Lions’ lead, forcing seven of 21 turnovers in the second quarter. A layup by junior guard Jaevon Hairston tied the game at 26-26 and a putback by Spikes gave the Vikings their first lead, 28-26, as part of a 15-0 run that erased an 11-point NDCL lead and put VASJ up by 30-26. “We ran our plays correctly, and swung the ball around,” Hairston said of the Vikings’ rally in the first half. “Shots were just created for themselves.” @vasj_basketball junior Jaevon Hairston (15 points, 5 rebounds) reviews the Vikings’ 88-81 win over NDCL pic.twitter.com/BB0ytF5oSP — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) February 8, 2026 The teams traded buckets for the rest of the second quarter, which ended with a steal and layup by VASJ junior Julian Council, followed quickly by a layup that beat the buzzer by NDCL junior Jason Rook, which gave the Lions a 37-36 halftime lead. NDCL managed to stay ahead by a possession for most of the third quarter, as the game’s tempo seemed to get faster and faster. The Vikings caught the Lions again, at 50-50, on a Spikes basket. It was tied again at 52-52, but Hairston made free throws and another bucket, and VASJ went on to take a 60-56 lead into the fourth. A 14-6 Vikings run, capped by a 3-ball by junior Treyvon Davis, gave VASJ its biggest lead, 74-62, in the fourth quarter. NDCL didn’t fold, though. Rook and junior Wesley Jacobson hit 3s, and the Lions kept feeding Hernan for layups. Hernan scored 12 points in the final stanza, and his last layup drew NDCL within one possession again, 84-81, with 54 seconds to go. But a pair of turnovers and fouls did the Lions in. The Vikings split a pair of free throws, and Spikes threw down an uncontested dunk to put an exclamation point on the win. Hernan scored 28 points to match Spikes for the Lions. Jacobson added 18, and Rook finished with 15. NDCL held a 29-24 rebounding edge, led by Hernan’s 8 boards. “We let them back in the game with that 15-0 run in the second quarter,” NDCL coach Steve Steinmetz said. “That kind of messed us up a little bit. We just didn’t get enough stops throughout the game. “Offensively, we did OK moving the ball, obviously we got it Brendan a lot, and we were able to kick it out and get shots, but we just couldn’t get into any real rhythm.” @NDCLBasketball Coach Steve Steinmetz discusses the Lions’ 88-81 loss at VASJ. pic.twitter.com/YLFYBqPdeY — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) February 8, 2026 Davis (16 points), Hairston (15), and Council (15) joined Spikes in double figures for VASJ. Ward hopes the win over NDCL, one night after a tough overtime loss at Gilmour that was preceded by losses to Mentor and University, can recalibrate the season’s trajectory. “The belief in what we do, the standard we set and sticking to it every day,” Ward said. “I think today was a testament of us just staying the course, and doing the things we know will help us to victory.” Both teams are on the road on Feb. 10. NDCL will travel to Holy Name, and VASJ will visit St. Ignatius. The score VASJ 88, NDCL 81 ...read more read less