PETER KOENEN scored a career-high 19 points in Tuesday’s OT loss to Vanden.

Vanden’s DeMarre Walker scored 16 points in overtime to help the Vikings turn back Benicia High’s boys varsity basketball team, 83-76, Tuesday night in Benicia.

The Panthers rallied back from a nine-point deficit with an 18-9 run in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Walker took it from there, drilling a pair of 3-pointers, adding two more field goals and going 6-for-8 from the free throw line – all in the game’s final four minutes – to snap Benicia’s three-game winning streak

It was a disappointing, yet encouraging, setback for the Panthers, who dropped to 9-14 overall and 2-4 in the Solano County Athletic Conference. Vanden improved to 18-4 overall and 6-0 in the SCAC.

“That’s the best team in the league and we took them to overtime, so that just shows the progress we’ve made,” said Benicia head coach Steve Carter. “We’re playing really good basketball right now.”

“I felt we should have won, but they made their shots at the end and we didn’t,” said Benicia guard Dakarai Hughes, who had a dozen points.

Benicia opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run as Peter Koenen drilled back-to-back 3-pointers and Brady Christopher scored on a fast-break layup. Down by four with under two minutes left in regulation, Brandon Barrett hit a jumper and Trey Pugh scored on a fast-break layup to force overtime.

But there was no stopping Walker, who made two 3-pointers in the first 3:10 of overtime to ignite the Vikings. Walker finished with a game-high 34 points.

“They hit some shots and that hurt us,” Carter said.

Koenen had a career-high 19 points for Benicia and Pugh added another 16 points. Barrett finished with 14 points despite suffering a thigh injury in the third quarter.

Jihad Woods, a 6-foot-8 senior forward, added 25 points for the Vikings. Teammate Thomas Avent had 16 points.

Vanden has a three-game lead in the SCAC with four games remaining and can clinch the conference title with a win at home against Bethel on Friday. Vallejo and Bethel are each 3-3 while Benicia, Fairfield and Vallejo are 2-4. The top three SCAC teams qualify for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

Benicia plays at Fairfield on Friday. The Falcons won in Benicia, 74-55, back on Jan. 20.

“We have to win four straight, but I don’t think it’s impossible,” Carter said. “I like our chances.”

“Our goal is to beat Fairfield right now,” Hughes said.

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