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CITY  (NewsDakota.com)–The Viking basketball teams started a long and crucial road trip with a pair of wins in Colorado.

Valley City State swept a double-header with Johnson and Wales, CO, including an overtime thriller in the women’s game, winning two contests over fellow Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) competition.

Wins against A.I.I. teams help the Vikings secure a spot in the post-season A.I.I. tourney, the path to the national tournament for independent teams.

The Viking men started their roadtrip with a 72-58 win over Johnson and Wales, CO Saturday, putting the Wildcats in a first-half hole and never letting them out.

Valley City State led 36-25 after  a half of play, and extended their lead to the finish, putting four players in double-figure scoring.  Sekani Milligan (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, FL) led the scoring with 27 points, including five three-point shots.

John Raquel (Jr., Hawthorne, CA) knocked down 14, while Aaron Duske (So., Buffalo, MN) and Sylvester Walker (Sr., St. Paul, MN) each added 11.

The Viking women overcame a poor night from the stripe in their overtime 78-76 win at the Wildcat Center.  Valley City State, traditionally one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the former Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC), shot just 18-36, 50%, from the line.

Four Vikings scored in double-figures, led by Katie Ralston’s (Jr., Dahlen, ND) 18.  Courtney Titus (Jr., Hankinson, ND) and Sadiqah Jihad (Fr., Minneapolis, MN) each knocked in 13, while Allison Scherr (Jr., Mohall, ND) added 10.

Caitlin Durkin (Jr., Littleton, CO) scored 40 points on 14 field goals in the Wildcat loss.

The Vikings continue their roadtrip with a double-header at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola, NM, this evening.  The games will be broadcast on Q101 KQDJ-FM.  Pregame coverage begins at 5:50 p.m.