The Niles girls basketball team can head into Monday’s Class A District with its head held high.

The Vikings fought tooth and nail Friday night in their regular season finale before falling to visiting Kalamazoo Central 59-55.

Just like they have many times during this often frustrating 6-14 season, Niles was right there with a chance to win the game heading into the final quarter.

Unfortunately, the end result was way too familiar to Niles coach Patrick Touhey.

“At the end of the third quarter I told the kids we’ve been here a lot of times against very good teams,” he said. “We lose our composer or we lose focus on the execution that gets us to this spot. So what I hope we can do tonight is to get some growth of who we our and we can show ourselves that we can go out in the fourth quarter and keep our composer. Execute what got us there and hopefully we are in the game.

“It is definitely a microcosm of our season, but I think our kids took a step forward today because we didn’t totally get out of it in the fourth quarter.”

Despite the loss of leading scorer Maureen Craig, Niles was able to battle with the Maroon Giants over the final three and a half minutes.

The Vikings got the lead down to 58-53 with 30 seconds left in the contest, but could get no closer.

Niles led 16-13 after the first quarter, but trailed 25-24 at halftime and 41-40 heading into the fourth quarter.

Taylor Brandstatter scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Vikings, while Craig finished with 16 points before fouling out. Brandstatter also had four steals and four assists.

Brooklyn Washington and Asia Robeson had 16 points each for the Giants.

KALAMAZOO CENTRAL 59

Kandice Johnson 4 6-10 14; Archay Alexander-Greene 0 0-0 0; Brooklyn Washington 3 9-13 16; Sharifa Amini 1 0-0 2; Asia Robeson 6 4-8 16; Aneisha Carlisle 4 0-4 9; Dominique Robinson 0 0-0 0; Tori Boone 0 0-0 0; Annie Deering 0 0-0 0; Teairra Vaughn 0 2-2 2. TOTALS: 18 19-35 59

NILES 55

Taylor Brandstatter 8 6-7 24; Alexis Arnold 3 0-2 8; Kylee Myer 1 0-0 2; Maureen Craig 5 2-2 16; Eva Nemeth 0 0-0 0; Anna Sikkink 0 0-0 0; Michelle Briand 2 1-2 5; Bri King 0 0-0 0; Jackie Grooms 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 19 9-13 55

Central 13 25 41 59

Niles 16 24 40 55

3-point baskets: Kalamazoo Central 2 (Amini, Carlisle), Niles 8 (Brandstatter 2, Arnold 2, Craig 4). Total fouls (fouled out): Kalamazoo Central 13 (none), Niles 22 (Craig). Varsity records: Kalamazoo Central 14-5, 10-4 West; Niles 6-14, 4-10 West