Brenden Crowther blazes to 24 points for Mean Moose

ALAMOSA — It was the first game back from the holiday break and both squads showed a little rust in the welcome back game Friday night at Alamosa High. Top ranked Kent Denver defeated No. 7 Alamosa in a 66-61 come from behind overtime victory. 

The Kent Denver Sun Devils (6-0) are one of four teams atop the 3A rankings with undefeated records, a list that includes Alamosa rival, Montezuma-Cortez (7-0). Alamosa (4-3) carried the momentum of a two game winning streak into Friday’s contest with wins over Moffat County (2-6) and Delta (5-2) to their credit.

After tip-off the Sun Devils would take control, meanwhile for Alamosa, junior Brenden Crowther picked up the Moose and put them on his back. After one quarter it was an 11-10 game in Alamosa’s favor due in large part to 9 points from Crowther.

Kent Denver, A normally accurate perimeter shooting team, would try to answer Crowther’s treys with their own to no avail. The Sun Devils would end up pouring a number of possessions into missed three-pointers much to the delight of the Moose. The game would stay tight to the half with Kent taking a 21-20 lead into the locker rooms.

The Sun Devils would come out with 6 unanswered points from the break continuing to push their advantage to a 31-22 lead. Crowther stayed hot from three-point range chipping in two more from downtown in the second half to cap his total at six three-pointers for the night. The Alamosa junior would go on to lead the Moose in scoring with 24 points, nearly doubling his season average.

In the third quarter Ian Jackson came on strong for the Moose with 8 points both boys’ combined to put the Moose in the driver’s seat 36-33 with the final quarter to play. Jackson would finish second on the team in scoring with 15 points.

Alamosa would push their lead to a 50-45 total. With under two minutes remaining was when Kent Denver’s Coby Gold decided to hit an opportune three pointer, his second of the game. Alamosa’s trouble with ball control hit it’s peak on the night with three turnovers leading to 6 unanswered points allowing the Sun Devils to tie the game at 52 all.  Neither team would hit a deciding blow in regulation sending the game to overtime.

An 8-2 run for the Sun Devils would give Kent Denver a little latitude and put the pressure squarely on Alamosa. Down multiple possessions with time running thin the Mean Moose were unable to close the distance with intentional fouling falling to the Sun Devils 66-61.

Alamosa will get a nice reprieve on Saturday. The Mean Moose will go from undefeated top ranked Kent Denver to winless 62nd ranked The Pinnacle school Saturday afternoon. Tip off for Pinnacle at Alamosa Saturday is slated for 4 p.m.