ALAMOSA - The Antonito Trojans boys basketball team placed third in the Southern Peaks League District 2A 2010 tournament. By defeating Del Norte 61-49 Tues. Feb. 23 in Antonito, the battle started with a 49-40 loss to Sanford Friday at the Alamosa High School gym.

But the ending was favorable Saturday afternoon when the Trojans took on the large-sized, talented La Veta Redskins and came up with a 63-54 victory with a strong fourth quarter. Antonito scored 22 points in the fourth quarter, adding to a five-point halftime lead at the start of the third quarter, leaving the squad enough margin to win.

The triumph earned Antonito a 2A playoff trip to take on Ignacio High School Friday, March 5 at 5:15 p.m. at that school's gym. The facility is about 25 miles southeast of Durango.

The game included a fair amount of run-and-gun basketball. Although both teams shared the basketball among teammates, the Trojan scoring was spread out much more evenly than La Veta, with senior Trojan center leading his team with 12, junior Stefan Armenta 11, and two players with seven each.

The victory came in spite of Redskin senior Dakota Mason carrying his team on his back virtually the whole contest, scoring 10 points in the final period and six the third quarter.

The fast running, sharp shooting La Veta player, who is also tall, scored 16 of the Redskins 29 points in the second half.

La Veta was also accurate from the free throw line, hitting 12 of 16 attempts.

Best for the Trojans, although not as accurate the team also scored on 12 free throws, earning 20 attempts.

A tough struggle until the end, Antonito was helped when one of the largest, tallest Redskins, sophomore Josiah Christian fouled out with 6:16 left to go in the game. He had scored all six of his points in the third quarter, and was the second leading scorer for La Veta.

Taking free throws after the foul that put Christian out, Trojan senior Jose Uriarte missed the first, but made the second. That gave Antonito a 44-40 lead. Christian's final foul also put the Trojans into a bonus one-and-one situation, where fouls that before then only earned one attempt a second free throw is granted if the first is made.

Several turnovers occurred during the next two minutes on the game clock, but an offensive foul on the Redskins gave Antonito the ball after the lead had been narrowed to 46-44. Trojan senior Darren Martinez layed the ball in with under four minutes to go for a 48-44 lead, and Uriarte had a full-court fast break field goal seconds later for a 50-44 score.

Inside three minutes to go the Trojans started to take the contest. Antonito senior center Jose Taylor made an assist pass to senior Gabe Martinez, who scored on a lay up.

Moments later Martinez stole the ball and quickly scored, to give a 54-46 lead.

Although La Veta drew to within four points with 1:15 on the game clock after a Mason lay up, a favorable outcome was not to be for the Redskins. The Huerfano County visitors started to foul to try to remain having a chance, but Trojan junior Stefan Armenta hit two foul shots with 52.9 seconds to go, and his team led 58-52.

Although a foul on Gabe Martinez allowed Redskin star Mason to hit two free throws with under 45 seconds to go to narrow the margin to 58-54, those were the last points scored by La Veta.

The Redskins missed two field goal attempts in the last thirty seconds on the clock,

Taylor was mugged before he reached the halfcourt line as time started to run out, and the

Trojans scored twice in the last twenty seconds to make the final 63-54. That scoring included an Antonito three-pointer at the buzzer that was ruled a basket because the ball was popped out of the bottom of the net by a La Veta player.