The Inglemoor High School boys basketball team struggled last season, finishing the season with a 6-14 record. But the Vikings were in many of those 14 losses all the way down to the final buzzer, including some of the games against the toughest competition in the state.

In his 25th year as Inglemoor’s head coach, Greg Lowell hopes to turn those lessons into wins during the 2012-13 season.

“We were a very young team last year,” said Lowell. “But we are ahead of where we were last season.”

The team began the preseason with a non-league loss 77-46 at 3A powerhouse Mercer Island on Friday. And while there is nothing like playing at Mercer Island in a season opener with the collage-like atmosphere, the Vikings better be prepared for stiff competition all season. They lost a close game at Auburn Riverside on Saturday to Enumclaw 75-70. The team had to overcome a nine point first-quarter deficit.

Both league rivals Bothell and Garfield will be tough challenges again, but Inglemoor has shown that it can hold its own against the state title contenders.

“The league is as good as I have ever seen it,” said Lowell. “Every team returns their best players so it will be tough. We just need to finish games.”

A young 2011-12 team has become an experienced 2012-13 squad. The team will be led by its three senior captains: Brendan Lauck, Chris Bryant and Cooper Danby.

Lowell said that Lauck is a good shooter and can play defense. He showed it against Enumclaw, scoring 22 points. Danby is a steadying presence in all facets of the game and scored 10 points against Enumclaw. Bryant brings all around skill and is the fourth brother to play for Lowell. His brother Eric Bryant was a first team All-KingCo selection last season as a senior for the Vikings.

“We have good senior leadership and skilled offensive players,” said Lowell. “We can get the ball up and down the floor.”

On defense, the Vikings will go with a straight man-to-man style but Lowell knows that it needs work.

“It is an area that we will have to improve on,” said Lowell. “The kids tend to understand what we want but we have to do it on the court.”

The captains said they learned a lot from last year’s difficult road.

“We are used to being in close tight situations late in games,” said Bryant. “For most of us last year was the first real game action.”

Lauck said that getting stops on defense late in games will help the team a lot.

“We can’t turn the ball over,” said Danby. “We are capable of making the playoffs if we play together.”

Lowell expects that the hard lessons of last season will help the team this year.

“We are an older group and that is a big thing,” said Lowell. “We need to play together as a team and they will have to give their best night-in and night-out.”

One of the team’s strengths is height, but most of it is with the underclassmen. Trey Miller is a junior but stands 6 feet, 7-inches tall. Lowell said that Miller is very athletic and a good rebounder. He led the team with 17 points against Mercer Island and 22 points against Enumclaw.

William Luckett is a sophomore and a true center at 6-foot-8.