CROWN POINT — The significance of this early Duneland Athletic Conference showdown was no secret to either team.

In fact, when the Valparaiso Viking girls journeyed to Crown Point on Saturday night, a seven-game winning streak and the chance for a DAC title were both on the line.

And before a capacity crowd the Vikings (8-1, 3-0 DAC) emerged with a seemingly improbable 39-37 victory over the Bulldogs (7-3, 2-1).

“We grew up tonight with this win,” Valparaiso senior Megan Diaz said.

In a physical see-saw fight the momentum changed with each quarter. But Crown Point’s 11-2 second-quarter run appeared to expose some of the Vikings’ weak spots.

Alex Webster and Carissa Triplett combined for 13 second-quarter points to give the Bulldogs a 19-14 advantage at halftime.

“Alex is a unique player to guard because she can create shots that a lot of players never expect,” Valparaiso Coach Greg Kirby said.

However, the Vikings fought back in the second half and seemed to control the tempo, outrebounding the Bulldogs despite posting a sub-par shooting percentage.

“Our outside shooting was very poor tonight,” Kirby said, “so I was very impressed with the way we came back.”

Trailing by eight points midway through the third quarter, forwards Brooke McAfee and Kelly Compton teamed up to account for all but four of the Vikings’ points down the stretch, scoring 21 of Valparaiso’s 25 second-half points.

Lauren Hutton’s 3-pointer after a Bulldogs offensive foul and McAfee’s putback with just 31 seconds left put Valparaiso on top to stay.

But it was perhaps the Vikings’ defensive effort that resulted in their late comeback, as well as the Bulldogs’ failure to capitalize on the front end of four one-and-one opportunities in the fourth quarter.

“We were prepared to make them execute late in the game,” Kirby said. “Anytime you can hold a team of their caliber to 37 points you know you’ve done well defensively.”

Compton finished with 15 points to lead the Vikings and got help from McAfee, who scored 12, pulled down six rebounds and blocked three shots before injuring an ankle in the final minute.

Webster led all scorers with a game-high 17 points for the Bulldogs and Triplett added 10.