On Friday, the regular season came to a close for the Alliance boy’s basketball squad with a home match up against Sidney. SHS’s offense was hitting on all cylinders as the hosts fell to the Raiders 87 to 58. Sidney scored 20 or more points in all 4 frames in posting the win over the Bulldogs. The game was the third time this season where the 2 clubs have met with Sidney winning all three. With the loss, AHS has an 11 and 13 record for the year. Senior Espen Lanik led the Alliance offense with 12 points. Alliance ended a very successful JV year with a 56 to 45 victory over the Raiders in a contest played earlier in the evening. Congratulations to Coach Dickerson and his squad!!
Five first quarter three pointers by the guests enabled the Raiders to gain control. Alliance led 4 to 2 early on thanks to buckets by Braeden Clarke and Riley Best but three straight treys by Sidney made it an 11 to 4 contest. Hoops by Trevor Zurn and Jaden Guerra followed as the Dogs got within 6. The teams then traded threes with AHS getting a trey from Lexton Salcido. Alliance’s final tallies of the first came on a score from Devin Graham and a pair of free throws by Nason Thompson. With one period in the books, the Bulldogs trailed 21 to 15.
Hot shooting by both clubs continued in the second. Sidney would net 23 points in the period while Alliance ended with 13. Following 4 straight by the guests. the Dogs answered with a Best two and a Lanik three. Action was even at the midway mark with Alliance getting buckets by Zurn, Creighton Fritzler, and Clarke stay in striking distance at 31 to 26. Unfortunately, the Sidney offense stayed solid as the visitors ran off 10 consecutive tallies to increase their margin to 41 to 26. A two by Fritzler stopped the spree but another trey by the guests ended the half with Sidney out in front 44 to 28.
Seven third quarter points by Lanik kept AHS close. A two by the lefty began the scoring in the third. It was followed by a Clarke bucket as AHS pulled within 12. Sidney came back with 5 straight but a three by Lanik ended the mini run. Alliance’s next tallies came from a free throw by Fritzler and a 2 by Guerra. Back to back hoops by Lanik and Devonte Taylor later in the quarter put the Dog deficit at 14 56 to 42. It was as close as the hosts would get. Sidney finished the period with 8 in a row and led 64 to 42 heading to the fourth.
Alliance’s best scoring period was the fourth. The Dogs put 16 in the scoring column. Sidney countered with 23 tallies in the period to increase their advantage. Early hoops by Lanik, Clarke, and Fritzler led the Dog O. Sidney continued to put points on the board at the midway point as the Raider lead grew to 31. A deuce by Salcido was the next score for the Bulldogs. The contest came to a conclusion for the hosts with a basket by Taylor and threes from Tray Best and Tanner Salcido.
Final Sidney 87 Alliance 58
SID 21 23 20 23 87
ALL 15 13 14 16 58
Scoring for the Bulldogs Lanik 12 Clarke 8 Graham 2 Zurn 4 Lexton Salcido 5 Thompson 2 Taylor 4 Guerra 4 Fritlzer 7 Riley Best 4 Tanner Salcido 3 Tray Best 3
Alliance honor their three seniors who played their last home game as a Bulldog. AHS says goodbye and thanks to Espen Lanik, Trevor Zurn, and Lexton Salcido
The Dogs will begin district play in McCook versus McCook on Thursday.