The Vale Vikings basketball squad (Vale, OR), was nudged 45-41 in Friday's league battle with the host McLoughlin Pioneers (Milton-Freewater, OR)

With the victory, McLoughlin advances its record to 7-12 on the year. The Pioneers travel to Riverside (Boardman, OR) to meet the Pirates in a 3A Eastern Oregon battle on Tuesday, February 4. The Pirates enter the battle with a record of 17-4. Riverside won 70-42 in their recent league battle against Nyssa (Nyssa, OR)

The Vikings now own a 5-12 record. They put it on the line next when they travel to Grant Union for a non-league battle on Tuesday, February 4. Vale will meet a Prospectors squad coming off a 66-49 league win over Irrigon (Irrigon, OR). The Prospectors record now stands at 15-7.