SOUTH PARIS – It was about this time last year the Oxford Hills girls’ basketball team found itself in a losing spiral.

After starting out 3-1, the Vikings struggled to maintain that success a year ago. With a win over Lewiston last week and Tuesday’s impressive 65-39 win over Brunswick, the Vikings are not letting history repeat.

“We’re in the toughest part of our schedule,” said Oxford Hills coach Craig Jipson. “Last year starting with the Lewiston game, we lost seven games in a row. We’ve already won two of those, but January is just a brutal month on our schedule. The way we play defense, if we can shoot like we did tonight, I believe we can play with anybody on any given night.”

The fourth-ranked Vikings (5-0) remained unbeaten with a strong team effort against Brunswick (2-2), seeded fifth in the latest Eastern A standings. “I think it’s given us a lot more confidence,” said guard Brianna Thompson. “I think having more experience together as a team has really helped us out.”

Oxford Hills had four players reach double figures. Kelsey Pelletier led the team with 13 points while Terry Bunce added 12. Thompson and Kristina Bowden each had 10. Allison Fox chipped in eight.

“It was very, very unselfish basketball,” said Jipson. “I was so pleased with how unselfish they were. One of our assistants said it was one of the most unselfish games he’d ever seen an Oxford Hills team play, and I’d agree with him. Their passing was outstanding, and it was a bunch of different kids.”

The Vikings roared out to a strong start and built a quick 10-point lead. The Dragons struggled to keep pace and get untracked. Brunswick’s top scorer Lindsay Hammond was held to just four points in the first half and picked up three fouls. She finished with just nine. Kate Ross led the Dragons with 11.

“I think we prepared really well for them,” said guard Annie Foster. “The coach scouted them, and we knew who their shooters were. That really helped a lot.”

Three pointers by Foster and Pelletier and a steal and basket by Thompson got the Vikings out to a quick 8-1 lead. Oxford Hills then finished the quarter strong. Fox had a pair of baskets and Kari Pelletier hit a free throw for a 19-9 lead. “I think in the pregame we knew we had to get out there and get to it,” said Thompson.

The Vikings had an even better start to the second quarter. After an Emily Pollock free throw, the Vikings scored eight straight. TC Cole hit two free throws. After a Bunce three-pointer, Foster fed Thompson off a steal and Bunce added a jumper for a 26-10 lead.

The lead was 40-19 by the half. Despite a short Brunswick spurt to start the third, the Vikings answered with another eight straight and never looked back.

“I think we knew we could play this way,” said Foster. “We just hadn’t had the opportunity. I think people that didn’t believe in us maybe they will now because we’ve shown that we can do it.”