Basketball fans that like offense would have enjoy Friday night’s season opener between Alliance and Gering. The contest was played in Gering and had the hosts getting the win 79 to 64. Alliance led at half 30 to 29 but in the periods three and four Gering put 50 points in the scorebook in posting the victory. With the loss, AHS starts the year 0 and 1. Senior Espen Lanik gave the hosts fits all night by scoring 29 points while sophomore Creighton Fritzler added 14 points. Alliance used big plays down the stretch by Trayst Best and Devonte Taylor in winning the JV game. The guests downed the G Dogs 58 to 45.
“See Saw” best described the opening half. Alliance won the first four minutes but Gering used a big spree in taking the last half. Two Lanik free throws started the scoring. A Gering three followed that gave the hosts their first lead at 3 to 2. Fritzler added a hoop and, after a 3 point play by Lanik, AHS surged ahead 7 to 3. At the 4 minute mark, a basket by Alliance’s Trevor Zurn put the AHS lead at 9 to 7. All Gering after that. The hosts scored the contest’s next 14 tallies and led 21 to 9 after one period of action. Alliance answered the 14 to 0 spree with 14 straight to start the second. Points by Fritzler, Braeden Clarke, and Lanik gave Alliance a 23 to 21 lead with under three minutes left in the half. The teams then swapped scores with Gering nailing a pair of threes and Alliance getting points by Fritzler and Zurn. A trey by Clarke ensued as the A Dogs took a 30 to 27 lead. The half came to a close with a hoop by Gering and Alliance up in front 30 to 29.
Both team’s offenses were stout in the third. Gering totaled 26 points and Alliance had 20 points. Two free throws by Lanik plus a 3 by Fritzler kept the guests in the lead. A 2 by Clarke along with a three ball by Lanik followed as Alliance maintain their cushion. Alliance would go up 45 to 41 thanks by tallies by Lanik, Fritzler, and Zurn. The squads again traded scores midway thru the period with Alliance getting points by Riley Best and Zurn. Quarter #3 finished with 5 in a row by Gering and a hoop by Alliance’s Lexton Salcido. Heading to the fourth, Gering led 55 to 50.
Ten tallies by Lanik in the final period kept Alliance in striking range. Early quarter points by Lanik and Zurn got the A Dogs close at 57 to 55. Gering countered with 7 consecutive tallies to move ahead 64 to 55. Two free throws by Lanik ended the run but 6 straight by the hosts put the Alliance deficit at 70 to 57. With 3 minutes left, buckets by Lanik and Fritzler made it 73 to 61 but it was as close as the A Dogs would get. The battled came to an end with another 2 by Lanik and a free throw by Taylor. Final Gering 79 Alliance 64
ALL 9 21 20 14 64
GER 21 8 26 24 79
Scoring for Alliance Lanik 29 Zurn 8 Clarke 8 Salcido 2 Fritzler 14 Best 2 Taylor 1
Mitchell comes to town on Saturday.