Metro League Boys | Beach's late burst buries No. 4 Prep

It hasn't all come together yet for Rainier Beach, the state's top-ranked boys basketball team in Class 3A. The Vikings have three impact newcomers, players in the regular rotation who played for different schools last season. There are new teammates to feel out, a new system to learn, all with championship expectations this season.

"We've got a lot of unfamiliar faces," said coach Mike Bethea. "We're still trying to develop chemistry. It's going to take us a while to jell."

Often, their small amount of playing time together shows. Then there are moments like the third quarter of Tuesday night's 96-82 Metro League victory against Seattle Prep, when the Vikings give a peek at how dangerous they can be.

Rainier Beach nursed a 45-42 lead only a little more than a minute into the second half. Then, in a span of 2 minutes, 40 seconds, the Vikings (3-1 overall, 3-0 league) went on a 12-point run that put them ahead 57-42. Even with a late rally, the fourth-ranked Panthers (2-1, 2-1) never got within nine after that.

In that run, senior Nyandigisi Moikobu, a transfer from Chief Sealth, scored all of his five points. In the meantime, Aaron Dotson, a transfer from Garfield, played tough defense on Seattle Prep's Jordan Hamilton, who scored 19 of his 26 points before halftime. Dotson finished with a game-high 27 points.

"The one thing I've been on Aaron to do, is to be multidimensional," Bethea said. "He's one heck of a defensive player."

Trailing 16-14 after the first quarter, the Vikings took a 41-36 lead into halftime, when they talked about stopping Hamilton. The responsibility fell on Dotson.

"I reminded them of Saturday night" — when Franklin's Peyton Siva scored 45 to hand Rainier Beach an overtime loss — "and said I didn't want to see a replay of that," Bethea said.

The loss to Franklin, after Rainier Beach led most of the game, hit the Vikings hard. With fourth-ranked Seattle Prep coming to their gym, they saw the opportunity to rebound.

"We wanted to prove to the state that we're still an elite team," Vikings senior Reggie Moore said.

Yet even after winning Tuesday, there was a sense among the Vikings they aren't anywhere close to their peak.

"Once they get in that comfort zone," Bethea said. "I think you'll see a pretty scary team."

Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com