MONTE VISTA – The sixth-ranked Monte Vista High School girls basketball team used a second half rally to pull away from Center 49-36 in Saturday’s game at the Lady Pirates’ gym.

Stephanie Lopez gave Monte the early lead with a pair of free throws and Zariah Archuleta scored a layup to give the Lady Pirates a 4-0 lead.

Emiliana Valdez put the Lady Vikings on the board, but Monte Vista got layups from Allessah Archuleta, Zariah Archuleta and Heysenny Beltran to extend the lead to 10-2.

Ciara Paiz ended the run, and Ximena Miranda made one of two free throws to close the deficit to 10-5.

Zariah Archuleta answered with a 3-point basket, but Yanelli Garcia made one of two free tosses to bring the Lady Vikings within a 13-6 deficit at the end of the first quarter.

Valdez scored the first points of the second quarter, and Alicia Rios hit a jumper to reduce the Monte lead to 13-10. Beltran ended the run with a three, but Rios scored again. Daylin Castro-Angulo increased the lead to 18-12, but Dulce Palma scored to bring Center within 18-14.

Hannah Henderhan and Allessah Archuleta both knocked down jumpers, and Zariah Archuleta made two free throws to push the advantage to 24-16. But Paiz scored a layup to cut the Lady Pirates’ lead to 24-18 at halftime.

Rios began the second half with a trey to close the margin to 24-21. After Lopez and Paiz exchanged baskets, Allessah Archuleta made three layups for a 32-25 advantage.

Garcia made two free throws, but Alycia Espinoza and Angeleigha Mora both scored to extend Monte’s lead to 38-28 after three quarters of play.

Henderhan made two baskets for a 42-30 advantage. Miranda split at the line and Paiz drained a 3-pointer, but that’s as close as the Lady Vikings would come as the Lady Pirates scored the final seven points with Zariah Archuleta scoring five of them.

Allessah Archuleta and Zariah Archuleta both scored 12 points to lead Monte Vista and Beltran scored nine.

Paiz was Center’s leading scorer with 11 points.

Monte Vista (10-1, 3-0 Southern Peaks League) will travel to Del Norte today, then it will host a make-up game with Custer County on Wednesday. The Lady Pirates will travel to South Park on Friday.

Center (8-6, 2-2) will host three games this week. The Lady Vikings will play Trinidad on Thursday, Custer County on Friday, and Las Animas on Saturday.

Monte Vista 49, Center 36

Center – Paiz 5 0-0 11, Miranda 1 5-12 7, Y. Garcia 1 3-8 5, Rios 3 0-0 7, Valdez 2 0-0 4, Al. Garcia 0 0-0 0, Rascon 0 0-0 0, Palma 1 0-2 2, Ar. Garcia 0 0-2 0. Total 13 8-24 36.

3-point goals – Paiz 1, Rios 1. Total 2.

Monte Vista – Beltran 4 0-0 9, Espinoza 1 0-0 2, A. Archuleta 6 0-1 12, Z. Archuleta 4 2-2 12, Lopez 1 2-2 4, Garcia 0 0-0 0, Dupont 0 0-0 0, Henderhan 2 0-0 4, Mora 2 0-0 4, Castro-Angulo 1 0-2 2. Total 21 4-7 49.

3-point goals – Z. Archuleta 2, Beltran 1. Total 3.

Center             6          12        10        8 – 36

Monte Vista    13        11        14        11 – 49

Fouls – Center 13, Monte Vista 23.