Basketball Game Preview: Amundsen Vikings vs. Taft Eagles

The Amundsen Vikings are taking a road trip to take on the Taft Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Amundsen will be strutting in after a win while Taft will be coming in after a defeat.

While Amundsen didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-20), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Lincoln Park 60-24. That 36 point margin sets a new team best for the Vikings this season.

Jane Belmont

Steals

12/12/25 vs Lincoln Park	6
12/05/25 vs Payton College Prep	2
12/03/25 @ Northside	2
11/25/25 vs De La Salle	5
11/22/25 vs Southland College Prep	2

Jane Belmont was her usual excellent self, going 6-for-8 en route to 22 points along with six steals and five rebounds. She has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. Charlii Lopez was another key player, shooting 40% from the field to rack up 14 points in addition to eight steals and seven boards.

Amundsen smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Taft came up short against Trinity on Monday and fell 41-33. While losing is never fun, the Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 209th, while the Blazers are ranked 45th).

Amundsen is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. As for Taft, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.

Amundsen was able to grind out a solid victory over Taft when the teams last played back in December of 2024, winning 45-33. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.