ALAMOSA – The Alamosa High School boys basketball team had a tough task at hand when it hosted third-ranked Pagosa Springs Friday at the AHS gym.
The Mean Moose gave the Pirates all they could handle, but when the dust had settled, Pagosa came away with a 53-43 win.
Parker Gilmore put the Mean Moose into the lead early with a 3-point basket, and Brant Jackson followed up a missed shot to give Alamosa a 5-0 lead.
Blake Laner put Pagosa on the board with a layup, but Jackson hit a trey to extend the Moose lead to 8-2.
Ridge Wilson scored a layup and Laner split at the line. Michael Motz knocked down a jumper for Alamosa, but Creede Dozier made one of two free throws, and Colt Lewis made two straight threes to give Pagosa its first lead at 12-10.
Kiko Ruybal tied the score with a layup, but Wilson scored a layup and added a free throw for a 15-12 Pagosa lead at the end of the first quarter.
Jackson opened the second quarter scoring with a layup, but Wilson made one of two from the line. Victor Zepeda drove for a layup to tie the score at 16-16, but Nathaniel Kinsley did the same on the other side of the court.
Tajuan Jamestown deadlocked the score at 18-18, but Laner and Lewis both scored for a 22-18 Pirates lead.
Motz made two free throws, but Laner scored again and Pagosa led 24-20 at halftime.
Gilmore made a jumper to begin the third quarter, and Motz made a 3-pointer to put Alamosa back into the lead at 25-24.
The Pirates answered with seven straight points for a 31-25 advantage. Jackson knocked down a jumper, and after Lewis made one of two free tosses, Zepeda scored in the paint to bring the Mean Moose within 32-29.
Zack Crowther made a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left in the quarter to tie the score at 32-32, but Kinsley scored a layup for a 34-32 Pagosa edge at the end of the period.
Jamestown made a trey to begin the fourth quarter and gave the Mean Moose a 35-34 lead. But that would be Alamosa’s last lead as Pagosa scored 11 straight points for a 45-35 advantage.
Zepeda made a three to end the run with a three, and Jackson hit a running jumper to bring Alamosa within 45-40 with 2:13 remaining.
The Pirates, however, made eight out of 12 free throws to seal the victory.
Jackson was the Mean Moose’s leading scorer with 11 points, followed by Zepeda with 10.
Lewis led the Pirates in scoring with 16 points.
Alamosa (8-4, 1-2) will host Centauri today at 7 p.m.
Pagosa Springs 53, Alamosa 43
Pagosa Springs – Harper 0 2-6 2, Laner 4 1-2 9, Kinsley 3 2-3 8, Lewis 6 7-10 16, Wilson 3 2-4 9, Dozier 0 1-4 1, Ziegler 1 0-0 2. Total 17 15-30 53.
3-point goals – Lewis 3, Wilson 1. Total 4.
Alamosa – Zepeda 4 0-0 10, Gilmore 2 0-0 5, Jackson 5 0-0 11, Motz 2 2-2 7, Meis 0 0-0 0, Ullery 0 0-0 0, Crowther 1 0-0 3, Ruybal 1 0-0 2, Jamestown 2 0-0 5. Total 17 2-2 43.
3-point goals – Zepeda 2, Crowther 1, Gilmore 1, Jackson 1, Jamestown 1, Motz 1. Total 7.
Pagosa Springs 15 9 10 19 – 53
Alamosa 12 8 12 11 – 43
Fouls – Pagosa Springs 12, Alamosa 21.
