PULASKI – The Community Vikings got off to a shaky start against the Giles County Bobcats on the road Friday night, but the Vikings righted the ship in a big way and went on to defeat the Bobcats 78-50 in a District 12-AA basketball contest.

The athleticism of the Bobcats gave the Vikings problems in the opening quarter. Kobe Pride had seven points for the Vikings, but Giles County led for most of the quarter and took a 19-13 advantage to the second quarter.

Community (21-1, 4-0 D12AA) started to take control in the quarter. Pride scored seven points while Jackson Bailey added six points off the bench as the Vikings took the lead for good at 27-25 with 2:06 left. The Vikings ended the quarter with an 11-0 run while holding the Bobcats to six points and led 32-25 at halftime.

Seven Vikings scored in the third quarter as Community extended its lead. Led by six points from Pride and five from Bailey, the Vikings used a stifling defense to keep the pressure on. A 14-0 Viking run helped Community take a 57-35 lead to the final quarter.

The Vikings continued to share the wealth as eight Community players scored in the quarter. The Viking depth wore down the Bobcats as Community took its biggest lead at 74-41 with 3:51 left and remained unbeaten in district play.

Pride netted 24 points while Bailey added 15 as 10 of the 11 Viking players scored.

J. C. Brown, Jake Cardin, and Jack Harper each scored 11 points to lead the Bobcats.

The Vikings finished 18-of-25 at the free throw line while Giles County was 12-of-19.

“Our bench really was a spark,” Coach Robbie Davis of the Vikings said. “Jackson Bailey and Evan Petrie came in and got steals and touches.”

“Early, we were just settling for the first three or the first open look we got. We didn’t attack the basket and we were getting silly reach fouls and touch fouls,” Davis added.

“We finally said Coach Davis wants us to go to the basket and move the basketball and get layups. In the second half, we did a good job of that.”

Community travels to Murfreesboro to take on Central Magnet in a District 12-AA game Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Community 13 19 25 21 - 78

Giles Co. 19 6 10 15 - 50

Community: Kobe Pride 24, Alex Mitchell 9, Corde Lane 8, Tyrese Eady 7, Will Reed 4, Jackson Bailey 15, Stratton Lovvorn 4, Elijah Pope 3, Evan Petrie 2, Noah Newkirk 2, Corey Paterick.

Giles County: J. C. Brown 11, Jake Cardin 11, Dakorbian Bellefant 9, Zy Yarbrough 2, Gavin Busby, Jack Harper 11, Devin Johnson 4, Matt King 2, Dra Daly, Clay Mitchell, Joe Dangerfield.

3-Point goals: Community (2): Mitchell, Lovvorn; Giles Co. (4): Cardin 2, Brown, Harper.

Halftime score: Community 32, Giles Co. 25.