The red-hot Roaring Fork Rams on Friday beat Grand Valley away 91-75. On their way to the win, they controlled most of the first half, with three starters ending the game in double digits.

Roaring Fork’s Noel Richardson connected on six 3-pointers and dropped a whopping 41 points against the Cardinals. Meanwhile, teammates River Byrne and Diego Loya netted 23 and 17 points, respectively.

“He’s been coming on lately,” Roaring Fork head coach Jason Kreiling said of Richardson. “We’ve had some guys sick a couple — starters out like these last three games — and he’s really stepped up and he’s taking care of business and just helping us out.”

---

---

But the Cardinals (8-11, 7-5) answered back with three players of their own putting up double digits. Cardinals senior Alex Alegria was good for 20 points, Kaden Amis 18 and Andrew Horner 17. Roaring Fork couldn’t miss in the first half. Loya was lights out. Richardson drained a 3-pointer to end the first quarter. The Rams extended their largest lead of the half to 24 points after Byrne hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left in the second quarter.

Seeing some light to start the fourth quarter, Horner hit a 3-pointer at the 4:13 mark. Half a second later, Alegria steals the ball in the Rams’ backcourt and drains a two-point conversion after the foul. 

---

---

“Grand Valley had a heck of a second half,” Kreiling said. “Their shooters started hitting some 3s and really pulled them back in the game. The second half I really think was theirs. They played well.”

Hitting the free throw, the Cardinals were within striking range 72-61. A 3-pointer by Grand Valley’s Kaden Amis with 50 seconds left in the game then put the Cardinals within 10 points, but the Rams simply played keep away long enough to run the clock out and win.

The state playoffs begin this week, with chances of Roaring Fork (14-5, 11-1) playing Olathe on Tuesday.

“I think the postseason is always a matter of who is playing their best basketball right now,” Kreiling said. “We don’t want to take anything for granted. It’s got to be one game at a time. Hopefully, Tuesday night we come away with a win so we can make it to Grand Junction for the finish of the district tournament.

“We can’t overlook anybody.”