APTOS -- While leading scorer Caleb Asante was in uniform as West Valley took on Monterey Peninsula at home and took part in pregame activities with the team, he ended up not playing as the Vikings pushed a ten-point victory.

Neither of those happened in Asante's return, as the Vikings (14-6, 3-2 Coast-South) hit CA-17 to take on the No. 26 Cabrillo Seahawks (15-6, 4-1 Coast-South). A dominant defensive first half was spoiled by Cabrillo going on a second-half run as the Vikings fell, 72-66.

With Asante coming off the bench for the first time since the final game of last season, the Vikings got out to a hot start, leading 17-9. The Vikes' offense was hot from the get-go, with freshman guard Cyrus Hassan hitting a wing 3 and David Manea finishing some tough buckets inside the arc.

Cabrillo head coach James Page clearly understood the gravity of the moment, calling an early timeout with his team trying to push past its early deficit. The Seahawks responded, taking advantage of size and shooting on the wing to draw the score closer.

Asante popped in-and-out of the lineup in the first half, flashing his athleticism around the rim but finishing the first 20 minutes scoreless. The first half was a defensive battle, as Cabrillo dominated the later part of the period to hold a one-point halftime lead, 28-27.

But the intensity that the Seahawks had to end the first half carried over into the second. The Seahawks scored the first nine points of the second half, hitting seemingly every basket and getting defensive stops on the other end as the Vikings struggled to push past Cabrillo's full court pressure.

Cabrillo's second half lead sat around 10 for most of the period until the Vikings went on a run late. Isaiah Ackerman hit a big 3, CJ Willenborg finished with a couple of perimeter makes and Asante, who was tenacious on the offensive boards, finished with six points and hit a layup to bring the score within two.

But the Seahawks responded, scoring both inside and out of the paint, as West Valley's late-game opportunity to win the foul battle fell short.

The Vikings return home on Wednesday the 28^th to take on Gavilan in another conference matchup.