The Wareham Vikings earned a close victory against the Old Rochester Bulldogs on Friday night, finishing out the first home game of the season with a score of 63-60.

“We had a lot of spurts where we played really well,” said Vikings Head Coach Steve Faniel. “But trying to keep our lead almost did us in.”

The two teams were neck and neck for most of the game with the Vikings leading the Bulldogs 41-31 by the end of the first half. 

Faniel attributed the 10-point lead to senior captains Taylor Carlson and Samari Auguste, who kept the Bulldogs on their toes with an energized defense.

Faniel said he was proud of the way his team held its own against the Bulldogs, even into the final seconds of the game.

Last year, Old Rochester bested the Vikings in their first game of the season 64-55.

“They’re a big team,” said Faniel. “But tonight we played our way and held them off.”

Both the Bulldogs and the Vikings now have an overall score of 1-1 for the season.

Wareham’s next match will be against Somerset Berkley Regional on Tuesday, Dec. 18. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m.