In the home opener for the Alliance Bulldogs on Friday it was the Bulldogs from North Platte taking home the win. The guests hit nine three pointers and downed Alliance 70 to 56. With the loss the hometown Dogs fell to 0 and 2 for the year. North Platte used an early run and led by 12 at halftime. Alliance would outscore the visitors in the third period and close the gap to 9 but would get no closer. In a thriller played earlier at the Middle School it was a late free throw by North Platte that enable the guest to win the JV ball game 54 to 53. Alliance had a nice look for the win at the buzzer but it rimmed out.
Three quick buckets plus a three pointer helped North Platte take the early lead. A free throw by Filippo Bandera and score by Alliance’s Tristen Timbers made the score 9 to 3 in favor of the visitors at the 4:00 mark of the opening of the first. Back to back treys by the Platters and another hoop by the guests pushed the lead to 17 to 3. Points by Espen Lanik, Seth Meyring, and Bert Trivino ended the Alliance scoring in the quarter with the A Dogs down 19 to 9. Early momentum in the second period went to Alliance as buckets by Timbers and Landen Crowe closed the North Platte lead to 19 to 13. The visiting Bulldogs answered right back with the game’s next 6 points as their margin increased to 25 to 13 midway thru the period. Another Crowe basket and a three ball by Lanik got Alliance to within 7 but the rest of the half belonged to North Platte. Another trey plus 3 free throws by the Platters kept the guests ahead. Alliance would get 4 points by Meyring during the run but a three by North Platte at the buzzer made the score 37 to 22 as the teams went to half.
An old fashion three point play and another trey by North Platte began the scoring in the third. Down 40 to 24 Alliance got the game’s next 6 points thanks to a hoop by Lanik and scores by Timbers. More baskets by Lanik and Timbers would force a time out by North Platte at the 3:32 mark with Alliance trailing only by 9. The rest of the period saw play even with Alliance garnering points by Jett Herain, Bandera, Timbers, and Meyring. Heading into the final stanza the guest Bulldogs led 50 to 41. More threes would fall for the Platters in the opening stages of the fourth. The NP Dogs would increase their advantage to 61 to 46 thanks to three straight treys. Another basket by Bandera and 6 Lanik points would account for the Alliance scores in the first four minutes of the quarter. Down the stretch the A Dogs got hoops by Crowe and Timbers that put their deficit at 12. A free throw by Alliance’s Ethan Little Hoop closed the scoring with North Platte posting the 70 to 56 win.
NP 19 15 16 20 70
ALL 9 13 19 15 56
Alliance had a new balance scoring attack as both Lanik and Timbers ended with 16 points each while Meyring was good for 8. Adding 6 apiece were Crowe and Bandera. Rounding out the scoring was Trevino with 2 and Herian and Little Hoop with one.