The Alliance St. Agnes boys’ basketball squad secured their tenth victory of the season in a hard-fought battle against the Torrington Trailblazers on Thursday. The Crusaders emerged victorious with a 50-45 win in the opening round of the year-end tournament in Scottsbluff, advancing to a semifinal matchup against Gering on Monday. The game was tightly contested, with Torrington holding a one-point lead with just three minutes remaining. However, a decisive 9-0 run by St. Agnes sealed the win, improving their record to 10-3 on the season.
Eighth-grader Tripp Johnson led the Crusaders with an impressive 24-point performance, including six three-pointers. Fellow eighth-grader Cisco Cody also shined, contributing 18 points and scoring in every quarter.
The game began with both teams trading small leads in the first quarter. Cody opened the scoring for St. Agnes, but Torrington responded with back-to-back baskets to take a 6-4 lead. Johnson’s first three-pointer of the game briefly put the Crusaders ahead, but Torrington regained the lead with two free throws. Johnson struck again with another three-pointer, giving St. Agnes a two-point edge. However, Torrington closed the quarter with a basket and two free throws, taking a 12-10 lead into the second period.
Johnson’s hot hand continued in the second quarter, as he scored 11 points to help St. Agnes regain the lead. The period opened with three-pointers from both teams, keeping the game tight. Trailing 17-13, Johnson hit another three-pointer to cut the deficit to one. The teams exchanged baskets, with Johnson’s back-to-back triples giving St. Agnes a 24-21 lead. A basket by Grayson Dibrito extended the Crusaders’ lead to 26-21, their largest of the half. Torrington responded with four straight points, but St. Agnes held a narrow 26-25 advantage at halftime.
Cody took center stage in the third quarter, scoring nine points to keep the Crusaders in front. Torrington opened the period with a three-pointer, but St. Agnes answered with a 6-0 run, highlighted by baskets from Cody and Danny Jelinek, to take a 32-28 lead. Torrington countered with a 6-0 run of their own, reclaiming a 34-32 lead midway through the quarter. Cody then took over, scoring seven straight points, including a three-pointer, to give St. Agnes a 39-36 lead. A late basket by Torrington narrowed the gap, and the Crusaders took a 39-38 lead into the final period.
The fourth quarter belonged to the St. Agnes defense, which held Torrington to just three field goals in the final six minutes. Cody opened the scoring with a basket, but Torrington responded with four straight points to take a 42-41 lead. Johnson then delivered a clutch three-pointer to put St. Agnes back in front. On the next possession, Johnson was fouled while attempting another three-pointer, resulting in five free throws due to a flagrant foul. Johnson sank four of the five attempts, extending the Crusaders’ lead to 48-42 with three minutes remaining. Cody added the final dagger with a basket, making it 50-42. A late three-pointer by Torrington was too little, too late, as St. Agnes secured the 50-45 victory.
Scoring Summary:
TORR: 12 | 13 | 13 | 7 — 45
ALL: 10 | 16 | 13 | 11 — 50
Crusaders Scoring:
Tripp Johnson: 24 points
Cisco Cody: 18 points
Grayson Dibrito: 4 points
Danny Jelinek: 4 points
St. Agnes will play two games in Rapid City on Saturday before returning to Scottsbluff on Monday to face Gering in the tournament semifinals.