Valhalla, NY – The Vikings opened 2023 with a gritty comeback win over Columbia-Greene Community College on Saturday January 7^th 73-68.
 
The game would be a back and forth battle throughout the first half. It saw five lead changes within 15 minutes of the first half before the Twins (2-10) took a three-point lead with 4:24 left on the clock. Columbia-Greene would push their lead to eight to get them to a 41-33 lead at half.
 
The second half proved to be the Vikings time to shine. The Twins would slowly add to their lead having it peak at 13 points at the 10:40 mark. Westchester would then move into a zone-press defense that would ultimately help them to victory. From the 8:30 mark, the Vikings would score 11 unanswered points making it a one point game with just under four minutes to play thanks to a Yenfry Paulino (North Rockland HS/West Haverstraw, NY) three pointer. Kishaun Cole (Johnson & Wales Univ./Sleepy Hollow, NY) would put the Vikings ahead with a lay-up three and a half minutes left in regulation time.
 
SUNY WCC ended the second half on a 21-4 run which spanned the final eight minutes and held the Twins to 27 second half points. The Vikings were lead by Paulino's 19 points and eight rebounds as well as a pair of 14 point performances by Cole and Omar Nkonde (Thurgood Marshall Academy/Harlem, NY).
 
With the win, Westchester moves to 7-8 overall and looks to move to the .500 mark tomorrow when they face the Skipjacks of Chesapeake College. Tip-off will be at 7pm here in Viking Gymnasium.