MOSCA – The 10^th-ranked Sangre de Cristo boys basketball team defeated Cheraw 69-48 Saturday at the Thunderbirds’ gym.

Deklin Beiriger made a 3-point basket to begin the game, followed by Deagon Rogers with a layup. Josh Baker drained two treys to give the Thunderbirds an 11-0 advantage.

William Ledbetter but the Wolverines on the board, and Joseph Reece made a layup to cut the lead to 11-4. Rogers scored five points, and Beiriger two for an 18-4 lead.

Jacob Herman drained a three and Sam Goheen made a layup. But Ezra Lopez buried a 3-pointer and a layup to give Sangre a 23-9 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Ledbetter opened the second quarter with a trey, and Jacob Herman a layup to bring the Wolverines within 23-14. Rogers scored in the paint, but Ledbetter made another 3-pointer.

Josh Baker drained another three, and after Rhett Dutton split at the free throw line, Josh Baker made another trey. Beiriger hit a jumper for a 33-18 Sangre lead.

Ledbetter made another 3-pointer, but Kolby Shellabarger made two free throws, and Lopez one. Maverick Barratt made one of two from the line for the Wolverines, but Rogers made a jumper. Beiriger made a pair of free tosses, but Jacob Herman scored to cut the Thunderbirds’ lead to 40-25 at halftime.

Lopez and Josh Baker both scored five points, and Shellabargber and Beiriger four to give the Thunderbirds their largest lead of the game at 51-25. Dutton and Ledbetter ended the Sangre run, and Reece scored three points. Jacob Herman hit a jumper to cut the deficit to 56-34.

Brody Artaechevarria made a layup and free throw, but Jacob Herman made a layup and the Thunderbirds led 59-36 at the end of the third quarter.

Shellabarger scored three points, Rogers two, and Beiriger one to begin the fourth quarter and give Sangre a 65-36 advantage.

Cheraw outscored Sangre 12-4 in the final 5:39 but could come no closer than the final score.

Beiriger led all scorers with 18 points. Rogers scored 13, Josh Baker 12, and Lopez 11.

Ledbetter was Cheraw’s leading scorer with 15 points, followed by Jacob Herman with 13.

Sangre de Cristo (8-1, 1-0) hosted Del Norte on Tuesday. It will go to Weston to face Primero on Friday and to San Luis to take on Centennial on Saturday.

Sangre de Cristo 69, Cheraw 48

Cheraw – Ledbetter 6 0-0 15, J. Herman 6 0-1 13, Reece 3 1-2 7, Dutton 0 2-4 2, Yochum 1 0-2 2, M. Goheen 0 2-2 2, A. Herman 0 0-0 0, S. Goheen 3 0-0 6, Barratt 0 1-4 1. Total 19 6-15 48.

3-point goals – Ledbetter 3, J. Herman 1. Total 4.

Sangre de Cristo – Rogers 5 3-3 13, Shellabarger 2 5-6 9, Lopez 4 1-2 11, Beiriger 5 7-9 18, J. Baker 4 0-0 12, J. Mason 0 0-0 0, Tr. Baker 1 0-0 3, Ta. Baker 0 0-0 0, Artaechevarria 1 1-1 3. Total 22 16-21 69.

3-point goals – J. Baker 4, Lopez 2, Tr. Baker 1, Beiriger 1. Total 8.

Cheraw 9 16 11 12 – 48

Sangre de Cristo 23 17 19 10 – 69

Fouls – Cheraw 20, Sangre de Cristo 17. Fouled out – Barratt.