Eleven straight points midway thru the fourth period was too much for the Alliance boy’s basketball team to overcome on Friday in a home match up against North Platte. With the contest tied at 55, the guests scored 11 in a row and went on for a 73 to 65 win. With the defeat, Alliance drops to 1 and 2 on the season. The Bulldogs did win the JV affair earlier in the evening. In a battle at the middle school, the Junior Varsity squad won for the third time this season in besting the visitors 63 to 37 to stay unbeaten for the year. AHS led by one heading to the fourth in the varsity contest but were outscored 24 to 15 in falling to the visiting Bulldogs. Senior Espen Lanik led the Alliance offense with 21 points while tossing in 14 was sophomore Jaden Guerra.
North Platte was strong from the tip. The guests started the game with a 7 to 2 run to lead by 5. Two free throws by Lanik would account for the Alliance tallies. At the 5 minute mark, a three by Lanik and a deuce by Nason Thompson closed the Dog deficit to 1 at 8 to 7. North Platte’s cushion then went to 9 after another scoring spree. A free throw by Alliance’s Creighton Fritzler kept the hosts close. The first came to a finish with Alliance scoring 7 consecutive tallies. Two buckets by Guerra including a hoop at the buzzer pulled the Dogs to within 2 heading to the second. Alliance also got a trey by Lexton Salcido during the spurt. After one period of play, the hosts were down 17 to 15.
Action was tight in the second with NP scoring 18 and Alliance netting 17. A bucket by Fritzler tied the game at 17. Another trey by Salcido ensued as AHS took a three point lead. The visitors responded, outscoring the hosts 7 to 2 to take the lead at 24 to 22 with 4 minutes remaining in the half. The battle then was tied at 24 and 26 with the hometown Dogs getting scores from Devin Graham and Lanik. Two big three pointers by NP in the closing stages on the half gave the guests some breathing room. Back to back baskets by Alliance’s Trevor Zurn and a hoop by Guerra then knotted the game at 32. Unfortunately, the half ended with another 3 by North Platte and AHS down 35 to 32.
Seven tallies by Guerra in the third helped Alliance stay in front. Hoops by Guerra and Fritzler gave the Dogs a brief advantage at 36 to 35 before 5 in a row by the Platters made it 40 to 36. Highlighted by a three by Lanik, AHS stormed ahead with a 9 to 2 run. Two more hoops by Guerra plus another deuce by Zurn helped the hosts take a 45 to 42 margin. Once again, the visitors were up for the challenge as NP scored the game’s next 7 straight to retake the lead at 49 to 45 with time running out in the period. Quarter #3 finished with a steal and lay up by Fritzler, a free throw by Guerra, and a buzzer beater by Salcido. Heading to the fourth, AHS was up 50 to 49.
A pair of treys by North Platte is how the fourth started. Down 5, a core from Graham and and old fashion three point play by Lanik tied the thriller at 55. Momentum then went to the side of the guests as NP scored the game’s next 11 points to go 66 to 55. The visiting Dogs used another three, 4 four free throws, and a pair of 2 pointers to go by 11. A free throw by Guerra ended the streak but another deuce by NP made it 68 to 56. Down the stretch, Alliance got treys by Lanik and Braeden Clarke to get within 8. A three point play by Lanik ended the scoring for the hosts. Final North Platte 73 Alliance 65
NP 17 18 14 24 73
ALL 15 17 18 15 65
Scoring for the Dogs Lanik 21 Zurn 6 Clarke 3 Fritzler 7 Guerra 14 Thompson 2 Graham 4 Salcido 8
Next up for the Bulldogs will be a road contest on Saturday versus Hot Springs.