The saying about throwing the records out rang true Monday night when International Falls’ boys basketball team hosted nearby rival Littlefork-Big Falls in the FHS gym.

Both teams had faced a common opponent earlier this season when the previously undefeated Broncos trounced Chisholm and the Vikings opened the season with an overtime loss to the Bluestreaks.

When the two teams went head-to-head, however, L-BF ended up winning, 60-53. The Broncos’ season record fell to 4-1, while the Vikings improved to 2-1.

“When these two teams come together anything can happen, and we don’t look at it as an upset...,” said Vikings head coach Jeff Maish. “We played some tough defense against a team that had scored 70-plus points a game.

“We came to play, and I’m proud of these kids.”

Falls head coach Derek Dowty said the Broncos weren’t mentally ready to face the Vikings.

“I think the biggest key to the game was they wanted the game more than we did,” Dowty said. “They worked harder, they got all loose balls, they got rebounds (and) they played a great game.”

The game was evenly played for the first 10 minutes with L-BF’s biggest lead being five points after Bryce Burmeister made a field goal off of a steal.

Then Falls went on a 6-0 scoring run when a pair of free throws by Gunnar Anderson with 7:55 left before halftime game the Broncos a 13-12 lead.

The momentum shifted back the Vikings when they went on their own 14-2 run capped off by a 3-pointer by Taylor DeLack before the Falls called timeout with 3:04 left until intermission.

L-BF led at halftime, 32-20.

The Vikings held a 14-point lead early in the second half after Garrett Larson sank a 3-pointer.

The Broncos then proceeded to whittle away L-BF’s lead before deadlocking the game at 51-51 with about 2 minutes left to play.

DeLack gave the Vikings a two-point lead on a field goal with 1:38 remaining.

L-BF then kept the Broncos off the scoreboard and pulled in front 56-51 with 43.5 seconds left on two free throws from Larson.

The Falls could only muster a field goal by Andre McMillion in the remaining seconds.

“We just couldn’t get the lead at the end of the game,” Dowty said. “We got close multiple times, but they kept making big plays at the other end.”

Larson led L-BF with a game-high 26 points, while Burmeister added 11 and DeLack had 10.

Anderson led the Falls in scoring with 16, followed by Ben Humbert with 14 and McMillion with 12.

Maish said L-BF is playing better now than at the start of the season when it lost to Chisholm.

“I know it’s tough to say that through three games, from the first game to the third game, but we’re not the same team,” he said. “We’d be more than happy to play Chisholm again.”

The Vikings will be back in action Jan. 6 when L-BF plays at Mountain Iron-Buhl High School. The Falls plays Thursday at Duluth Denfeld.

L-BF 60, I. Falls 53

L-BF 32 28 — 60

I. Falls 20 33 — 53

L-BF: Taylor DeLack 10, Garrett Larson 26, Tyler Vork 9, Bryce Burmeister 11, Jeff Fry 4. 3-pointers: DeLack 2, Larson 2, Vork. Free throws: 9-21. Fouls: 14.

I. Falls: Andre McMillion 12, Gunnar Anderson 16, Ben Humbert 14, Ryan Kilbride 3, Josh Owen 6, Forrest Arch 2. 3-pointers: McMillion 2, Anderson 2. Free throws: 7-10. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: Owen, Arch.