ALAMOSA – It was a battle of Top 10 teams on Tuesday as the Alamosa High School girls basketball team, ranked seventh in Class 4A, hosted Centauri, ranked fifth in Class 3A, at the AHS gym.

In this case, the higher-ranked team came out in top as the Falcons defeated the Mean Moose 38-24.

Centauri used a press to go out to a 4-0 lead on baskets by Rylie McCarroll and Paityn Sowards. The Mean Moose, however, answered with six straight points of their own as Aubrey Rothermich and Jaelin Garcia both scored baskets, and Arreli Felix made two free throws.

Paityn Sowards tied the score with a layup, and Lyndie Sowards also made a layup to give the Falcons an 8-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Lyndie Sowards opened the second-quarter scoring with a 3-point basket, and she later knocked down a short jumper for a 13-6 lead.

Rothermich scored Alamosa’s first basket of the quarter, but Kynlei Curtis made a layup, and Lyndie Sowards drained another here to push the lead to 18-8.

Garcia beat the clock with a layup, but Centauri led 18-10 at halftime.

Audrina Knorr scored back-to-back baskets to begin the third quarter and reduced the deficit to 18-14. Sydney Haslett made one of two from the free throw line, but Rothermich scored again to bring the Mean Moose within 19-16.

Lyndie Sowards gave the Falcons some breathing room with her third trey of the game. Paityn Sowards split at the line, and Lyndie Sowards drained her fourth 3-pointer to again give Centauri a double-digit lead at 26-16.

Kyla Hawkins made one of two free throws, and Garcia knocked down a jumper to bring Alamosa within 26-19 at the end of the third quarter.

Alyvia Norton opened the fourth quarter with a jumper, but Rothermich scored. Norton scored another basket, but Brooklyn Schrader drove for a layup to cut the lead to 30-23.

Curits split at the line, and McCarroll scored in the paint to put the Falcons up 33-23. They made five out of eight free throws in the final two minutes to wrap up the victory.

Lyndie Sowards led all scorers with 19 points.

Rothermich led Alamosa with eight.

Alamosa (8-4, 3-1) hosted Ignacio on Friday. It will play at Lamar today. The varsity game will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Lamar Comm unity Building.

Centauri (11-3, 5-0) will host Pagosa Springs today at 2:30 p.m.

Centauri 38, Alamosa 24

Centauri – Curtis 1 1-2 3, P. Sowards 2 1-2 5, R. McCarroll 2 0-2 4, L. Sowards 6 3-4 19, Haslett 0 3-10 3, Russell 0 0-0 0, Norton 2 0-0 4. Total 11 8-20 38.

3-point goals – L. Sowards 4. Total 4.

Alamosa – Gutierrez 0 0-0 0, Knorr 2 0-0 4, Felix 0 2-2 2, Garcia 3 0-0 6, Rothermich 4 0-2 8, Quintana 0 0-0 0, Rice 0 0-0 0, Schrader 1 0-0 2, Hawkins 0 2-5 2, Holman 0 0-0 0. Total 10 4-9 24.

3-point goals – none.

Centauri 8 10 8 12 – 38

Alamosa 6 4 9 5 – 24

Fouls – Centauri 9, Alamosa 17.