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Ira senior Karson Valentine prepared to leap for a layup during a win over Christoval earlier this season. Valentine scored 16 points in the Bulldogs’ 60-31 win over Lorenzo Tuesday.
LORENZO — In its final pre-district game, the Ira Bulldogs boys’ basketball team blasted Lorenzo, 60-31.
The Bulldogs’ (15-2) rode a big first half to the win.
Ira seniors Karson Valentine and Nathan Goodwin combined to score 12 points in the first quarter. Goodwin hit a 3-pointer, Valentine hit a pair of free throws and senior Brayden White scored his first four points as the Bulldogs put up a 17-point first quarter.
While the offense was clicking, the defense was just as locked in. The Hornets managed just one point in the first quarter, a free throw by freshman Malachi Villegas, and the Bulldogs held a 17-1 lead after a quarter.
The Hornet offense woke up in the second quarter, getting five points from Villegas and another five from freshman Kian Mitchell. The Bulldog offense however, was hotter. Both White and Goodwin put up six-point quarters and sophomore Holden Rios scored his first four points. Ira led 37-11 heading into the half.
Lorenzo’s Mitchell scored seven points to help his team to a 13-point third quarter. The Bulldogs managed to stay a step ahead, scoring 15 points in the third quarter. Valentine scored eight points and sank a pair of free throws to bring his third quarter total to 10 points.
White and Goodwin teamed up to score five points and the Bulldogs maintained a 52-24 lead heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Goodwin and sophomore Ike Weaver scored four points each and the Bulldogs closed out the 60-31 victory.
It was Ira’s sixth victory by 20 or more points.
Both the Ira boys’ and girls’ teams will take on Loraine when they come to Ira on Saturday, with the girls’ game set to start at 6:30 p.m. and the boys to follow.
Ira scorers: Nathan Goodwin, 17 points; Karson Valentine, 16 points; Brayden White, 12 points; Holden Rios, 4 points; Matthew Brazil, 4 points; Ike Weaver, 4 points; Drew Porter, 2 points.
Lorenzo scorers: Kian Mitchell, 19 points; Malachi Villegas, 8 points; Juan Vargas, 2 points.