Rochester Lourdes chose to silence Tyler Kramer, but Hayfield sophomore David Johnson proved to be just as dangerous.

Johnson scored a game-high 25 points, including 8-8 free-throws in the fourth quarter, as the Hayfield boys' basketball team knocked off the Lourdes Eagles 54-45 Friday night at Alumni Hall in Rochester.

A 17-6 third quarter lifted Hayfield out of the Eagles' reach.

"We got aggressive, we got every board, we forced some turnovers," said Hayfield coach Chris Pack. "It was our style. We dictated the tempo of the game."

The Vikings (3-3, 1-2) dropped its defense into a 1-2-2 match-up zone that Coach Pack credited with a superior effort against a very capable Lourdes team for their first Hiawatha Valley League victory.

"We took them right out of their offense," Pack said. "Their only field goal in the third quarter was a three-pointer to answer our first possession."

Shawn Colucy nailed a three for Hayfield to start the third quarter and the Vikings opened their 1-point halftime lead to 12 heading into the fourth. Johnson, who led all scorers with 25 points, was flawless from the free-throw line in the final frame.

"He was very good tonight," Pack said. "We needed this one. We put ourselves back in the conference race. We can see the leaders yet, but if we lose (Friday) we're done."

Kramer fell into the role of role player and scored a quiet 12 points, never missing a shot. He buried his only three-point attempt -- from NBA range -- and was 4-4 from the floor overall. Colucy and Bryan Oelkers both added to the attack with three-pointers in the tide-changing third quarter.

"This was a legitimate big-time win," Pack said. "And to do it there, not many people have.

"We need to use it as a step up to some big wins."

Lourdes coach Rich Decker became the sixth active member of the 500-wins club when his Eagles jumped to 3-0 to start the season, but a loss at Byron and a defeat at home in Alumni Hall has Lourdes (4-2, 2-2) looking up at the division leaders.

Hayfield plays Dec. 27-28 at the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Rotary Classic four-team tournament next weekend. The Vikings start with St. Peter Friday at 7:30 p.m. and play either St. Clair or host JWP Saturday night.

Boxscore:

HAYFIELD (54) -- Shawn Colucy 8, Brock Greenhagen 0, Weston Hanson 2, Cody Hegna 0, David Johnson 25, Tyler Kramer 12, Bryan Oelkers 7, Drew Wanzek 0.

LOURDES (45) -- Tim Deutsch 2, Ted Garry 11, Jay Hanson 9, Pat Jewison 12, Tyler Kodet 0, Jeff Poterucha 6, Andy Schulte 1, Matt Warner 4.

Hayfield12234054

Lourdes11222845

Three-point goals -- Hayfield 5-10 (Johnson 1, Kramer 1, Oelkers 1, Colucy 2), Lourdes 8-30 (Jewison 3, Hanson 3, Garry 2).

Field goals -- Hayfield 16-30, Lourdes 16-46

Free throws -- Hayfield 15-20, Lourdes 7-15.

Fouled out -- Lourdes: Kodet, Warner.