For the first time in 10 years, the Niles boys basketball team has extended its season beyond the district round of the state tournament.
The Vikings (19-4) are hoping they have to play more than just one more game tonight.
Niles captured its first Class A District championship since 1987 and its first title of any kind in 10 years Friday night when it rolled past Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 67-40.
The Vikings now take on Okemos (15-8), a team that upset No. 3-ranked Lansing Eastern Friday night for its district championship.
The Chiefs defeated the Quakers 71-62 in overtime to claim their first district title since 2009.
Chris Harrison-Docks led the way for Okemos with 33 points and five assists. It was his 3-pointer with 36 seconds left in regulation that forced the extra session.
Taylor Moton had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Chiefs, who also got nine points from Denny Hodge and nine rebounds from Jackson Miller.
After finally shaking the monkey off their backs Monday night with a win over two-time defending state champion Kalamazoo Central, the Vikings managed to avoid the upset by Mattawan in Wednesday’s semifinals.
The Vikings showed no ill-effects of the two close games and came out firing on all cylinders in the championship game Friday night.
Niles shot 43 percent from the field (25-of-58) and had eight 3-pointers. The Vikings also outrebounded the taller Loy Norrix Knights 42-34.
Niles forced 12 turnovers in the contest and committed just eight in a solid floor game.
With six seniors on the roster, the Vikings have plenty of court experience, but little when it comes to playing at this level of the state tournament.
But with five starting seniors who have played at least three years on the varsity, the Vikings probably won’t have many jitters tonight when they step on the court at Portage Northern High School.
Austin Parks led the way Friday night with a game-high 25 points, including four triples. Taylor Campbell finished with 11 and has played extremely well in the post season.
Matthew McLaughlin runs the show for the Vikings from his point guard position and will be looking to continue his clutch shooting in the tournament.
Perhaps the biggest key to tonight’s match-up with Okemos will be the play of Myles Busby.
Busby, who now has 1,027 career points, finished with only eight Friday night, but grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and had five assists.
Busby besides being only the fifth Niles player to reach 1,000 career points, also has more than 400 rebounds, 200 assists and 200 steals.
In the first game tonight at 6, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills will face Jackson. Niles and Okemos will play the second game at 8 p.m. The winners will play Wednesday at 7 p.m.