UNIONVILLE – A hot-shooting Huntland Hornet first half and a cold-shooting Community Viking first half equated to a deficit the Vikings could not overcome as Community dropped a 78-68 basketball game to the Hornets Friday night.
A 48-point Viking second half was not enough despite Community cutting the Hornet lead to single digits in the final quarter.
There appeared to be a lid on the basket in the first half as Community (0-9) could not get its shots to fall.  The Hornets used four treys and jumped out to an 18-9 lead after one quarter.
The Hornets continued their successful shooting in the second quarter by outscoring the Vikings 20-11 and took a 38-20 lead to the intermission.
"Just like our game Tuesday, we came out flat on the offensive end," Coach Robbie Davis of the Vikings said. "Our inconsistency to make easy shots as a team is putting us behind in games."
With Jason Cullum scoring six points and Cole Crockett adding five, the Vikings started to get their offense untracked in the third quarter. 
Community outscored the Hornets 19-16 as Huntland took a 54-39 lead to the fourth quarter.
Crockett scored 13 points and Corey Paterick netted six as the Vikings unleashed a 29-point quarter and cut the Hornet lead to 59-50 with 5:23 left. 
But the Hornets used a 16-18 performance at the foul line in the quarter to protect their lead as Community could not get closer.
The Hornets finished the game 26-31 at the free throw line while the Vikings were only 1-of-3.
"We panicked on the defensive end and started fouling 60 feet from the basket," Davis said. 
"It's not a case at all of one team getting the breaks on fouls," Davis added. "Our team was fouling because we were out of position and refused to play disciplined defensively by moving our feet."
Zeier Golden scored 24 points to lead three Hornets in double figures. 
Braylen Phillips and Lashawn Kimmons each added 19 points.
Crockett scored 20 points while Cullum added to 13 to lead the Vikings.
Community hosts Richland Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.          
"We have a couple of practices before we get to host a really good Richland team so we are going to take that time to get back to playing the kind of basketball fans in Unionville should expect to see from the Vikings," Davis said.
"You will see a different mindset come Tuesday."                                                                       
        
Huntland       18  20  16  24 — 78
Community     9  11  19  29 — 68
 
Huntland: Zeier Golden 24, Braylen Phillips 19, Lashawn Kimmons 19, Kannon Lafevers 9, Trace Kilpatrick 7, Cade Limbaugh, Demetri Reed.
Community: Cole Crockett 20, Jason Cullum 13, Landon Lovvorn 8, Jacob Flannagan 8, Ramon Hernandez 6, Corey Paterick 6, Emery Smith 4, Noah Watson 3, Dallas Grooms, Landon Berman.
3-Point goals: Huntland (6): Kimmons 3, Golden, Phillips, Kilpatrick; Community (7): Crockett 2, Paterick 2, Cullum, Lovvorn, Watson.
Halftime score: Huntland 38, Community 20.