Paced by a 27 point effort by senior Espen Lanik, it was the Alliance boy’s basketball team getting the win over Gordon/Rushville 74 to 56 in action on Tuesday. AHS also got double figure scoring from juniors Devin Graham and Braeden Clarke in picking up their seventh win for the season. Graham, who ended with 19, had 13 tallies in the second while Clarke closed with 14. Alliance broke open a close game by outscoring the Mustangs 42 to 29 in periods two and three in getting the W. In the earlier JV contest, it was the Dogs garnering the victory 68 to 30. Both affairs were played in Alliance.
Early on, it was the guests making the plays. Gordon/Rushville raced to an early 8 to 3 lead at the 5 minute mark. A three by Graham accounted for the Alliance points. Back to back Lanik treys ensued as the Dogs closed to within 1 at 10 to 9. Period #1 closed with a three by the visitors and 4 tallies by Clarke. After one quarter, the game was tied at 13.
A 12 to 4 Alliance run is how the second began. AHS got tallies by Ryley Best,Lanik and Graham to take the lead at 25 to 17. After a pair of Mustang free throws, Alliance came back with points by Graham and Lanik to go by 10 at the 4 minute mark. The Graham/Lanik show would continue in the final moments of the second with Graham sinking 2 more 3 pointers and Lanik added a deuce. Down 14, the guests would end the half with 5 consecutive to slice their deficit to 9 at half. Alliance took a 37 to 28 lead to the locker room.
Only 2 Dogs got into the scoring column in the third. Clarke had 10 tallies in the period while Lanik scored 8. Overall, Alliance outscored G/R 18 to 14 to increase its advantage. Four quick Clarke points is how the quarter started. They were followed by back to back Lanik 3 balls as the hosts went up by 14. At the four minute stage, Clarke had 4 in a row that put the Dogs ahead by 16. Gordon came back with a mini run at 7 to 4 to stay close. Clarke had another bucket during the spree and the quarter came to a conclusion with a buzzer beating basket by Lanik. After three periods of play, Alliance was up 55 to 42.
Any hopes of a Gordon comeback were denied early in the fourth with the Dogs getting threes by Lanik and Graham and a hoop by Creighton Fritzler. Up 14, AHS put the nail in the coffin with a 6 to 0 spree thanks to tallies by Lanik and Jaxon Poss. Another Poss 2 was next that make it a 71 to 54 ball game. Alliance’s last points came on a three by Lexton Salcido. Final Bulldogs 74 Mustangs 56
GR 13 15 14 14 56
ALL 13 24 18 19 74
Scoring for Alliance Poss 4 Best 5 Fritzler 2 Salcido 3 Lanik 27 Clarke 14 Graham 19
Ogallala comes to town on Friday.