ALAMOSA – The Alamosa High School boys basketball team remained undefeated in the young season as it defeated Lamar 56-31 at the Alamosa Basketball Challenge on Saturday.

The Mean Moose led from start to finish.

Kade Jones opened the scoring with a layup and a free throw, and then Jayr Almeida scored five straight points to give Alamosa an 8-5 lead.

After a Luke Christensen basket, Brandon Martinez made a 3-point goal to help the Thunder close within 10-8. But Almeida and Christensen both scored layups to give the Mean Moose a 14-8 advantage. Austin Thacker scored at the buzzer to reduce the Lamar deficit to 14-10.

Martinez scored a layup to help the Thunder close within 14-12 early in the second quarter. But Christensen scored a layup, and Brant Jackson also scored a layup and he added a free throw to push the lead to 19-12.

Martinez made another three and he scored on a layup to bring Lamar within 19-17. Christensen and Jace Quintana both scored to increase the lead to 23-17. Thacker then split at the line and Arien Lucero knocked down a jumper to help the Thunder close to within 23-20.

Christensen made two free throws to give Alamosa a 25-20 lead at halftime.

The Mean Moose came out for the second half red-hot. Quintana opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and then Jackson scored back-to-back layups. Almeida also drove for a layup to give Alamosa a 34-20 advantage.

Almeida scored seven more points, and R.J. Meis scored to give the Mean Moose a 43-24 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Christensen opened the fourth quarter scoring. Lamar closed to within 46-28, but Almeida scored six more points, and Jackson scored two for a 54-28 advantage.

Martinez ended the Alamosa run with a 3-pointer, but Meis closed out the scoring.

Almeida led all scorers with 22 points. Christensen was next for Alamosa with 12 points, and Jackson scored nine.

Martinez was Lamar’s top scorer with 15 points.

Alamosa (2-0) will be in Greeley this weekend for the University Invitational. The Mean Moose’s first opponent will be DSST: Montview Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Del Norte 73, Ellicott 36

The Del Norte High School boys basketball team began its season at the Alamosa Basketball Challenge on Saturday as it defeated Ellicott 73-56.

Benjamin Parra gave the Tigers the early lead with a 3-point basket. Anthony Parks put Ellicott on the board with a layup, but Tytus Atencio scored four points, and Camden Crowell drained a three and a layup to increase the Del Norte lead to 14-5.

Parris Erickson made a trey for Ellicott, and Parks drove for a layup to cut the Tigers’ lead to 14-10. But Crowell made two more 3-pointers to increase the lead to 20-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Jace Pacheco and Parra both made 3-point goals to open the second quarter scoring. After an Atencio jumper, Crowell scored seven more points to push the lead to 35-21.

Parra scored four points, and Crowell split at the line to give the Tigers a 40-25 lead at halftime.

Esteban Amaya made a 3-point basket for Ellicott to begin the third quarter. But Del Norte went on a 13-0 run to push the advantage to 53-28.

Del Norte led 57-30 at the end of the third quarter.

The Tigers continued their momentum into the fourth quarter as Parra scored a three, and Michael Laymon knocked down a jumper. Parra made another trey to spark an 11-4 run to end the game.

The Tigers had three players score in double figures. Crowell led the way with 25 points including six 3-pointers. Atencio was next with 18, and Parra scored 17.

Parks led Ellicott with 19 points.

Del Norte (1-0) will host Buena Vista on Thursday. The first game begins at 4:30 p.m.

Alamosa 56, Lamar 31

Lamar – Vazquez 3 0-0 7, DeLaRosa 1 0-0 2, Lucero 1 0-2 2, B. Martinez 6 0-0 15, Thacker 2 1-2 5, Forney 0 0-0 0, L. Martinez 0 0-0 0, Williams 0 0-0 0, Willis 0 0-0 0, Cousins 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0-0 0. Total 14 1-4 31.

3-point goals – B. Martinez 3, Vazquez 1. Total 4.

Alamosa – Quintana 2 0-0 5, Jackson 4 1-1 9, Almeida 9 3-8 22, Kad. Jones 1 2-3 4, Christensen 5 2-2 12, Crowther 0 0-0 0, Meis 2 0-0 4, Ruybal 0 0-0 0, Gilmore 0 0-0 0. Total 23 8-14 56.

3-point goals – Almeida 1, Quintana 1.

Lamar 10 10 4 7 – 31

Alamosa 14 11 18 13 – 55

Fouls – Lamar 14, Alamosa 14. Technical foul – DeLaRosa.

Del Norte 73, Ellicott 36

Del Norte – Sanchez 0 0-0 0, Atencio 9 0-0 18, Pacheco 1 0-0 3, Laymon 1 2-2 4, Parra 7 0-0 17, Velasquez 0 0-0 0, Crowell 9 1-2 25, Bailey 1 0-0 2, Mondragon 2 0-0 4. Total 30 3-4 73.

3-point goals – Crowell 6, Parra 3, Pacheco 1. Total 10.

Ellicott – Parks 8 2-3 19, Amaya 1 2-2 5, Lewellen 0 0-0 0, Olberg 0 0-0 0, Lumas 3 0-0 6, Erickson 2 0-0 6. Total 14 4-5 36.

3-point goals – Erickson 2, Amaya 1, Parks 1. Total 4.

Fouls – Del Norte 11, Ellicott 11.