A hot start to the first half lifted the Grayson Vikings to a 68-61 win over North Idaho on Friday, Nov. 1. 

Susan Fahnbulleh got off to a hot start, converting a pair from beyond the arc. Kayla Jones tied the game at 9 with a short jumper in the lane.
The Vikings received no shortage of contributions from everyone, as they went on a 21-10 run that spanned a quarter and a half. Gracie Burckhartzmeyer converted a three to give Grayson a 30-19 lead with 3:01 remaining in the half. The Viking defense was stiff, not giving up a basket for the final three minutes of the half. Fahnbulleh was on fire from the three point line, converting her fourth from deep, as Grayson held a commanding 40-19 lead at the half. 

"We made some adjustments early on in the game, based on what they were giving us," Head Coach Steve Lowe said. "We were looking at getting some stationary three's, which is what we wanted, and when we have somebody like Kayla {Jones} on the inside, it becomes a tough matchup defensively. We had great execution in the first half."
In the second half, the Vikings picked up where they left off. Burckhartzmeyer connected on another three for a 52-28 lead, and Madison Martin came up with a steal and a transition layup for a 54-28 lead with 3:20 left in the third.
After a timeout, North Idaho began to chip away at the lead, going on a 9-3 run to close out the quarter.
Jones was good on a turnaround jumper with 4:39 to play in the game to give Grayson the 66-48 lead. North Idaho went on a 13-2 run to pull within seven, but the Vikings relied on their stingy defense, and closed out the game for their first victory.
"North Idaho really took us out of rhythm in the second half," Coach Lowe said. "They went to zone, we got a bit stagnant and the energy and momentum changed."

Offensively, Jones led the way with 20 points, while Fahbulleh added 15 points,  seven assists and three steals. Shakirat Abdulazeez was huge off the bench, grabbing 13 rebounds.
"Guard play is huge for us this year," he said. "They're all willing passers, they see the floor well, and they can make shots. I'm excited about the potential we have this season." 

The Vikings remain home as they take on Howard on Saturday, Nov. 2. Tip-off is set for 2 pm.