Winners in five of their last six contests and riding a three-game winning streak, the Union Pines boys' basketball team enters the Cape Fear Valley (CFV) Conference Tournament on a roll. Over that stretch the Vikes have averaged 63 points per game, while holding opponents to an average of 46 points.

Union Pines (14-10) finished the CFV regular season in third place with a record of 10-4. At 7 p.m. tonight in Cameron, the third-seed Vikings host the sixth-seeded Triton Hawks, who finished with a league mark of 4-10 and are 8-16 overall.

The Vikes managed to earn a regular-season CFV sweep over the Hawks. In the fifth league game of the year, Union Pines traveled to Erwin where it came away with a 54-49 win that was even closer than the score indicates, as Triton had the ball late with a chance at a go-ahead bucket. Junior guard Eric Smith was the star of that contest, scoring a season-best 25 points, to go along with seven rebounds, five steals and five assists.

Just 10 days ago, the Vikings had an easier go of it, as they trounced Triton 67-48 on Hall of Fame Night at Union Pines' Bob Ward Gymnasium. Junior forwards Chris Henderson and Jon Toomer each recorded double-doubles in the victory. Henderson scored 18 points and grabbed 15 boards, while Toomer finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Elsewhere around the league, second-seed Overhills (17-6, 12-2) hosts seventh-seed Gray's Creek (7-17, 3-11) in Union Pines' half of the bracket. Conference regular-season champions and top seed Southern Lee hosts eighth-seed Western Harnett (7-17, 3-11), while Harnett Central (14-8, 6-8) hosts South Johnston (8-16, 5-9) in the four- and five-seed game.