LA JARA – The sixth-ranked Centauri High School girls basketball team got off to a hot start and it rode that momentum through the rest of the game as the Lady Falcons defeated Alamosa 60-38 Friday at the CHS gym.
Joselyn McCarroll gave Centauri the early lead with a 3-point basket, but Alamosa’s Aubrey Rothermich answered with a trey of her own. Braelyn Tucker drained a three, and after Jaelin Garcia split at the free throw line, Rylee McCarroll also made one of two for Centauri.
Hannah Curtis buried a 3-pointer, and after Emmalie Quintana made one of two free throws, Tucker nailed another three for a 13-5 advantage.
Rylee McCarroll made a pair from the line. Morgan Ortega made one of two free tosses, but Alyvia Norton knocked down a jumper just before time expired and Centauri had a 17-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Rylee McCarroll opened the second quarter scoring, but Taybor Wiedeman split at the line and Vanessa Villalva drove for a layup to bring the Lady Mean Moose within a 19-9 deficit.
Tucker hit her third 3-pointer of the game, but Villalva and Ortega both scored to bring Alamosa within 22-13 at halftime.
Lacey Johnson and Curtis both scored to increase the lead to 26-13. Garcia scored Alamosa’s first points of the second half, but Curtis drained another trey and Tucker scored just seconds later. Rylee McCarroll and Curtis both made two free throws, and Jaelyn Jackson made one for a 36-15 advantage.
Garcia ended the run, but Johnson made a pair of free tosses and Tucker made her fourth 3-pointer.
Garcia scored a layup and added a free throw, and Ortega drove for a layup to narrow the lead to 41-22. But Jocelyn Jarvies and Joselyn McCarroll both scored to give the Lady Falcons a 45-22 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
Wiedeman scored the first points of the fourth quarter, but Curtis answered with a jumper. Ortega made two free throws, but Johnson made a layup and Curtis tallied a pair of free throws for a 51-26 lead.
Wiedeman made a trey and later two free throws. But Emily Tibbitts buried a three, followed by baskets by Jackson and Joselyn McCarroll to give Centauri a 58-31 advantage.
Ortega made a pair of free throws, but Rylee McCarroll scored in the paint. Villalva made two free throws, Quintana one, and Ortega scored a layup to wrap up the scoring.
Curtis and Tucker led Centauri in scoring with 14 points each.
Ortega was Alamosa’s leading scorer with 11 points.
Centauri (12-5, 6-3) will travel to Ignacio today.
Alamosa (10-9, 4-5) is scheduled to travel to Montrose today.
Centauri 60, Alamosa 38
Alamosa – Ortega 3 5-6 11, Rothermich 1 0-0 3, Montoya 0 0-0 0, Garcia 3 2-3 8, Wiedeman 2 3-4 8, Quintana 0 1-2 1, Felix 0 0-0 0, Villalva 2 3-4 7, Rice 0 0-0 0. Total 8 14-19 38.
3-point goals – Rothermich 1, Wiedeman 1. Total 2.
Centauri – Jarvies 1 0-1 2, Tucker 5 0-0 14, J. McCarroll 2 0-0 5, Johnson 2 2-3 6, H. Curtis 4 4-4 14, Hostetter 0 0-0 0, K. Curtis 0 0-0 0, Jackson 1 1-2 3, R. McCarroll 2 5-6 9, Norton 1 0-0 2, Tibbits 2 0-0 5, Shawcroft 0 0-0 0, Holman 0 0-0 0. Total 20 12-16 60.
3-point goals – Tucker 4, Curtis 2, J. McCarroll 1, Tibbits 1. Total 8.
Alamosa 6 7 9 16 – 38
Centauri 17 5 23 15 – 60
Fouls – Alamosa 11, Centauri 20.
