The Valencia Vikings boys basketball team started the Foothill League season fast, then spun out to a 2-5 record in its last seven games.

A team built on the group and not the individual didn’t show up in many of those games.

Yet it did in Friday’s first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division IA playoffs.

Valencia defeated Arroyo Valley High in San Bernardino 76-57 and now hosts Aliso Niguel on Tuesday in the second round.

Vikings Garrett Mike scored 16 points, Angel Cardenas, Riley Honaker and Malik McCowan each added 12, Jaleel Howard scored 10 and Kayode Wellington pulled down 13 rebounds.

“We finally all put it together,” said Valencia head coach Rocket Collins. “We’d be missing a guy one game here or there (during the league season). Everyone played defense (Friday). Everyone played their role.”

Valencia (17-8) shot out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter and was up 24-11 by the end of the frame.

At halftime, the Foothill League third-place Vikings were up 42-30.

But the San Andreas second-place Arroyo Valley (13-8) cut the lead to four in the third before the Vikings turned it on and ran away with the game.

Valencia outscored Arroyo Valley 27-8 in the final frame.