POSEN - Feb. 4, 2010 - Posen's girls basketball team has steadily improved throughout the season. Thursday, the Vikings showed they're ready to take on just about anyone as they hung on for a 39-37 victory over previously unbeaten Arenac Eastern, ending the Eagles' 14-game win streak.

"We've been playing pretty well," said Posen coach Karl Momrik. "But this was a big win for us. We really had a great defensive effort."

The Vikings led throughout the contest, taking a 20-13 lead at the half and holding on as AE inched closer. The Eagles had a chance to tie it late, but two missed free throws ended their comeback.

Cold shooting plagued AE all night.

"It was a game we could have won, but we didn't shoot," said Eastern coach Butch Beckham. "When you shoot 29 percent from the floor and 40 percent at the line, you won't win many games, especially on the other team's court.

"Posen was up, their crowd was jacked up, and we didn't keep our composure the way we should have."

Chelsea Dery scored all of her team-high 15 points in the second half to get the Eagles back in the game and had 11 rebounds.

"She really stepped up when we needed her," Beckham said.

Janice Ciarkowski led the Vikings (9-6, 7-4 North Star League) with 15 points, with Lindsey Bartz adding eight.

AE (14-1, 10-1) still has a two-game lead atop the league and needs just one win to clinch at least a share of its first-ever NSL title.

"I'm not sure how we'll respond," Beckham said. "We haven't had to face much adversity this year. Hopefully this will end up being a positive.

"Posen played well. We talked before the game about the fact that we haven't won up there. Well, we still haven't."