Saturday night’s home basketball contest between the Alliance boys and Mitchell featured a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs. Clutch plays. Good scoring by the Alliance guards. But the #1 thing was a solid effort defensively. The Dogs held the Tigers to just three points in the third quarter and won the match up 65 to 46. Their record now stands at 1 and1 for the season. Alliance also got the W in the JV game played earlier at the Middle School. The Bulldog junior varsity squad defeated the guests 49 to 21 and went to 2 and 0 on the year. Senior shooting guard continued his fine play with a 21 point performance while point guard Creighton Fritzler tossed in 16 points and had some sweet assists to help the Dogs get their first win. Periods 2 and 3 were big for the hosts as AHS outscored the Tigers 28 to 13.
Play was close in the opening period with the score being tied at 2, 9,11, 14, and 18. Early free throws by Lanik and a hoop by Braeden Clarke got the Bulldogs to a super start. Another bucket by Clarke and 2 good shots from the free throw line by Lanik gave the hosts a 9 to 8 at the 4 minute mark. Mitchell then used 2 three pointers to retake the lead. Alliance would get a basket by Devonte Taylor and 5 points by Lanik to keep things close. The first came to a finish with a deuce by Clarke and a free throw by the Tigers. After one period of play, the battle was knotted at 18.
Fritzler’s eight tallies in the second helped Alliance take control. Action began with a 2 pointer by Bulldog Lexton Salcido and the Dogs taking a 2 point lead. A score by Alliance’s Devan Grahan ensued and a three by Lanik push the Bulldog cushion to 25 to 18. After another Tiger trey, four more points by Fritzler kept the Dogs up. Two more hoops by Fritzler were next as the Dog advantage went to 10 at 33 to 23. Salcido added another 2 and Alliance got free throws by Lanik and Trevor Zurn to finish the half. Alliance led 37 to 28 after 2 periods of play.
Quarter #3 was low scoring one with Alliance scoring 9 and the Tigers tallying just 3. Another 2 by Fritzler along with a 3 ball by Zurn made it 42 to 28 at the 6 minute mark. Following a free throw by the visitors, a two by Lanik gave the Dogs a 15 point lead. The game went scoreless for the next couple of minutes before another basket by Fritzler made the scoreboard read Alliance 46 Mitchell 29. Period 3 ended with a 2 pointer by the Tigers and the Bulldogs out in front 46 to 31.
A 6 to 2 Alliance run early in the fourth denied a Tiger rally. It began with a two by Riley Best and 4 more Fritzler points. At the midway point, a trey by Lanik was followed by a hoop by Clarke and a free throw by Zurn. Mitchell put together one last threat with a three, a 2, and a three point play to get within 16 at 59 to 43. Free throws down the stretch by Taylor and Best along with a driving layup by Lanik put the game away. Final Alliance 65 Mitchell 46
MIT 18 10 3 15 46
ALL 18 19 9 19 65
Scoring for the Bulldogs Lanik 21 Zurn 6 Clarke 8 Fritzler 16 Graham 2 Best 4 Salcido 4 Taylor 4
Alliance hosts North Platte on Friday and goes to Hot Springs on Saturday.