Red Devils go 2-1 in Flaming Gorge

Mark Madia, Herald Sports Editor
Posted 12/18/18

Boys get much-needed wins

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Red Devils go 2-1 in Flaming Gorge

Posted

EVANSTON — The Evanston Red Devils went 2-1 over the weekend in the 24th annual Flaming Gorge Classic, defeating previously unbeaten Thunder Basin, 60-40, on Thursday, Dec. 13, before falling to 3A Rawlins, 47-39, on Friday, Dec. 14. The Red Devils wrapped up the tourney with a 68-51 victory over the Westside Idaho Pirates on Saturday, Dec. 15, 68-51.

“The game against Thunder Basin was our most complete game of the season so far,” Red Devil basketball head coach Lex Cornia told the Herald.

Following an unexpected 0-3 start in the Bill Stannigan Invite tournament in Riverton the week prior, the Red Devils were anxious to get back on the floor to demonstrate the week prior was a fluke. The win over the Bolts likely did just that, as it’s the only loss suffered by 6-1 Thunder Basin; the Bolts went on to dispatch Jackson, Rock Springs and Green River by double-digits after the loss to Evanston. Mason Ellingford led the Red Devil charge with 17 points with Dawson Crofts netting 13 and Seth Lloyd hitting for 10. Brady Hurd added eight, Chris Moeller contributed seven points, with David Baxter contributing three off the bench and Garrett Berger adding a deuce.

“Our team really needed a good, convincing win to bolster their confidence and we were off to a great start in the Flaming Gorge tournament,” Cornia added.

The momentum gained in Thursday’s contest did not carry over to Friday’s game against Rawlins, as the Outlaws bested the Red Devils, 47-39. Evanston led by one point at the break, 18-17, but the Outlaws outscored the Red Devils 30-21, in the second half. Lloyd went out with an apparent ankle injury and Ellingford fouled out against Outlaws while leading Evanston in scoring and being a defensive force in the middle. In addition, the Red Devils were without six-foot, seven-inch swingman, Lance Evans, who was disqualified from tournament play versus the Bolts.

Evans told the Herald that he shoved a Thunder Basin player during a heated moment in the contest, as things became physical between the two teams. The shove resulted in a technical foul called on Evans. Later in the game, Evans was hit and retaliated, and, as is often the case in athletic competitions, especially basketball, it’s the second individual, the one responding, whom the referees catch and blow the whistle against. Another technical foul was assessed to Evans resulting in his disqualification from the Thunder Basin game and the subsequent contests against Rawlins and Westside, Idaho.

Ellingford and Crofts again reached double-digits in scoring to lead the Red Devils with 10 points each, unofficially, with Moeller coming off the bench to add eight. Lloyd scored five points, all coming in the first quarter.

The Red Devils bounced back on Saturday afternoon to claim a 68-51 win against the Westside, Idaho, Pirates, in a back-and-forth first half, before the Red Devils took charge in half number two. Hurd led all scorers with a game-high 22 points, with Crofts adding 20. Ellingford contributed 10, with Moeller chipping in seven. Lloyd finished with six and Berger had three points in the win.

The Red Devils are now 2-4 on the season and will have the better part of two weeks off before they take to the hardwood again. Evanston will open the Star Valley Shoot-Out tournament against Judge Memorial, a private Catholic high school in Salt Lake City, on Thursday, Dec. 27, in Afton, at 1:30 p.m. Evanston will also face the host team on Friday, Dec. 28, at 4 p.m. and will close out against Bear River High School from Garland, Utah, on Saturday, Dec. 29, at 3 p.m.

The Red Devils’ first home appearance will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12, when they host the Lyman Eagles, following a date with the Mountain View Buffalos on Friday, Jan. 11, in Mountain View.