The Valley City Hi-Liners closed out the regular season with a 72-54 loss to the Kindred Vikings.

Kindred set the tone early, racing to a 20-12 first-quarter lead behind balanced scoring from Gabriel Iverson, Gabe Whipple and Eli Maack. Valley City struggled offensively in the opening frame, with Miken Mattson accounting for five of the team’s 12 points.

The Hi-Liners chipped away in the second quarter, trimming the deficit to 27-21 with 3:30 remaining before halftime. The final minutes of the half, however, belonged entirely to the Vikings. Kindred closed on a 15-2 run to take a commanding 42-23 lead into the break.

Iverson, Whipple and Maack all finished in double figures for Kindred, with Maack leading all scorers with 24 points.

Valley City placed three players in double figures as well, as Mattson, Finn Dockter and Zander Compson each reached double digits. The Hi-Liners outscored the Vikings 31-30 in the second half but were unable to overcome the large halftime deficit.

Valley City now turns its attention to the Region 1A Tournament, which begins March 9.