MODESTO — Following a close first period Monday night, Johansen took the lead from Lathrop early in the second period and never again trailed in a 49-38 Western Athletic Conference girls basketball win for the host Vikings.

Johansen (3-2 WAC, 10-9 overall) pulled down a whopping 18 offensive rebounds.

“They played bully ball on the inside, they made a pass to one of their bigger players and we are supposed to double down. We stood and watched as if we didn’t have a game plan, because the game plan that we put in, we didn’t execute. It was like we didn’t even have practice, because I don’t know what that was. I am very disappointed.”

With that many offensive boards for the Vikings, it was no wonder that the Spartans (4-1, 14-6) lost the rebounding battle, 45-31.

“We work on rebounding a lot,” Johansen coach Derrick McGlaughlin said. “We work on it every day. Every single day.

“We knew how tough of a team Lathrop was, and we were determined. We are building and working hard.”

Shakara Porter (seven rebounds) and Rianna Delacruz (three steals, three rebounds) paced Lathrop with 11 points each.

Bethany Alberran and Jamie Zarilla (five steals) posted double-doubles for the Vikings with 18 points and 13 rebounds for Alberran and 12 points and 10 rebounds for Zarilla.

The Spartans travel to Mountain House tonight at 7:30.

Junior varsity

Lathrop 43, Johansen 39

Moira Ramones (four rebounds, three steals) led the Spartans with 11 points and Kriselle Matela (four rebounds, five steals) added nine points.

Lathrop’s Kira Davis (five points) grabbed 16 rebounds and Tatiana Lopez chipped in six points, six rebounds and three steals.

Freshman

Lathrop 42, Johansen 19

The Spartans improved to 4-0 in WAC play, holding the Vikings to single digits for three periods and blanking them in the other quarter.

Lathrop’s Aaliyah Thompson and Hazel Beltran scored 10 points apiece and Sarah Garcia added eight points.