LAFAYETTE, La. — The Vidalia Vikings didn’t waste any time in proving who the best basketball team in Class 3A is.

The Vikings jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the first six minutes of the game and cruised to an 82-59 victory over the Carroll Bulldogs at the Cajundome in Lafayette, La., Friday night.

Gary Stewart was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 17 points and collecting 16 rebounds in the championship game.

Torrey Dixon scored 25 points for the Vikings while Quartrell Thomas added 18 points.

Vidalia led 19-10 after one quarter and kept the pedal down, outscoring Carroll 29-13 in the second quarter to turn the game into a blowout.

“I really was surprised how easily we jumped out,” Vidalia coach Robert Sanders said. “But once we jumped out, we were like sharks in the water. We smelled the blood and we stayed on them.”

The championship was Vidalia’s first in 31 years and came a year after the Vikings lost in the state title game to Richwood.

“It’s great to finally be state champions after 31 years,” Sanders said. “The community and school waited a long time for this.”