On Tuesday, the Alliance boy’s basketball team traveled to Torrington to take on the Blazers. The Bulldogs used balanced scoring to down the hosts 63 to 54 in picking up their fourth straight victory on the year. Four Dogs ended the game in double figures, led by Junior Espen Lanik who scored 16 points. Adding 14 was Payton Boyer while netting 10 each were Trevor Zurn and Seth Meyring. With the win, Alliance improves to four and one for the season.
Two 3 pointers and a 2 by the Blazers began play in the opener. Three points by Boyer and a Lanik trey kept the Dogs close at 8 to 6. Torrington kept the momentum later in the first by scoring 6 straight to move ahead 14 to 6. A key three by Alliance reserve Lexton Salcido sliced the Dog deficit to 5 at the midway mark. Following another Blazer basket, the Bulldogs got goals by Boyer and Lanik that reduced the margin to 3 at 16 to 13. The period closed with another 3 ball by Lanik and a Blazer tally. After one, AHS was down 18 to 16.
An 8 to 3 Alliance run began the action in the second. Scoring for the Dogs were: a 3 by Zurn, 2 buckets by Boyer, a free throw by Jaden Guerra, and a Lanik goal. The half came to a close with a 3 point play by Meyring and another hoop by the Alliance forward. At halftime, the Dogs were up 31 to 29.
In period #3, the Bulldogs started to pull away. Hoops by Boyer and Zurn helped Alliance maintain their lead. An old fashion 3 point play by Lanik was followed by a trey by Bulldog Braeden Clarke pushed the Alliance lead to 10 at 41 to 31. Torrington responded with a spree of their own as the Blazers scored the game’s next 7 points to cut their margin to 3. Another 3 ball by Lanik stopped the Blazer run and the period ended with a buzzer beating trey by Clarke. Heading to the fourth, Alliance led 47 to 41.
Play was tight in the finale. A three point play Clarke and a hoop by Boyer kept the Dogs ahead. Two free throws by Zurn increased the Bulldog lead to 7 at 54 to 47. Consecutive hoops by the hosts got the Blazers to within 3 midway through the period. Down the stretch, AHS got plays by Meyring and Zurn to stop a comeback. Free throws in the final minutes by Boyer, Meyring, and Zurn paved the way for the Alliance win, 63 to 54.
ALL 16 15 16 16 63
TOR 18 11 12 13 54
Scoring Lanik 16 Boyer 14 Zurn 10 Meyring 10 Clarke 9 Salcido 3 Guerrra 1.
Cheyenne was Alliance’s opponent on Thursday. The game was played in Scottsbluff.