POULSBO — Step by step.

The North Kitsap Vikings — minus three — came up short in their two preseason match-ups at Olympia and then at home against Stadium. But a picture of potential has been drawn and it’s up to the Vikes to color it in.

The NK lineup hasn’t been fully colored during either of the opening games. Seniors Chris Zeringer, Cameron Gholaghong and Kevin Masnayon have all been sidelined with injuries, however, none serious enough to bench them for long, said coach Derek Anderson. He hopes to see Gholaghong and Masnayon back for the regular season opener at Gig Harbor and Zeringer shortly thereafter.

“The good thing is I’ve got to see some of the underclassmen that I may not have had a chance to see otherwise,” Anderson said of the absence.

The trio has been missed by the Vikings in preseason play. The rest of the cast has stepped up to fill the gaps, but NK ended up short in both contests.

At Olympia, in the first game of the season, NK broke out with a solid start leading by four toward the end of the first half, but the Bears answered with a 13-5 third quarter to gain a hold on the Vikes that they’d retain for the remainder of the game. After a fouling flurry in the final frame of the game, Olympia nailed 12 of 15 free throws to win 64-54.

“Stadium, that was a heartbreaker,” Anderson said of the team’s first home game Dec. 9. “(We) really wanted to win our home opener, but that was a gutty performance.”

North’s grit showed on defense — especially at the start of the game. Stadium’s Josh Jones was quick to penetrate, but the Viking D held strong to round out the first quarter with a 14-12 lead.

But in the second, North lost its rhythm when three turnovers turned into an 8-0 run for Stadium. Anderson called a timeout to settle the troops and they came out firing.

Dietreich Rios drilled a rejuvenating jumper right out of the time out, and Steven Kirk followed with an energizing steal and score. But NK ended the half with fouls and Stadium ended with a four-point lead.

“It’s the small things that are the difference between an average team and a good team,” Anderson commented.

North came out sluggish in the third quarter and Stadium boosted its lead to six. Rios and Mykal Harris tied it back up for the Vikings with two triples.

“My kids have got the green light,” Anderson said of three-pointers. “I have confidence that they’ll hit them and I think that will play into our game.”

The referees made the third quarter choppy with calls and the Viking three-point rhythm fell off but Rios and big man Eric Schippers carried North through the final frame. Schippers tied the game at 54 with a three-point play off a hook shot with 2:47 left in the fourth, and Harris put the Vikes up two with another pair of free-throws.

But it was at the other end on free-throws where the game was lost. On two of its final possessions, Stadium was at the line. The Tigers made only one of four opportunities, but they rebounded each of the misses to keep a one-point lead just out of reach for NK. They’d lose it by a 59-58 margin.

“Every day a little better,” Anderson said. “It doesn’t get any easier for us. And as I told my team, you respect a team but you don’t fear them.”

The Vikings regular season opener will be tonight in Gig Harbor where a towering lineup awaits, then North will be back at home to host Central Kitsap Dec. 16.