The Green River Pirates opened tournament play in Richfield on Wednesday. After securing the No. 6 spot in the final RPI, the Pirates earned a first-round date with the Bryce Valley Mustangs. On paper, this was a routine No. 6 vs. No. 11 match-up, but in the tournament, anything can happen, and it did, as the Pirates lost their second-round contest 49-47.

The Pirates closed out the regular season on a 16-game win streak, compiling an 18-5 overall record and earned an 8-0 mark in region play.

In the opening period, neither team could assert its dominance. It was a slow-paced affair, with the Mustangs holding a slight edge 11-10 after one. In quarter two, the Pirates struggled offensively, managing just four points and giving up 11 more to Bryce Valley, which took a 22-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Green River came out to try to close the gap between them and the Mustangs, more than doubling their offensive output from the quarter before scoring 13. However, they allowed 12 and still trailed by seven heading into the game’s final eight minutes. The Pirates were quite aggressive in the fourth, as they found another gear, putting up 20 in the quarter. Still, with the lead intact Bryce Valley had a slower period but maintained just enough of a lead to earn the two-point victory sending Green River to the consolation bracket.

Rolando Anguiano led the way for the Pirates, scoring 24 in the game, pulling down four rebounds, and four blocks with three steals and a pair of assists. Jason Hernandez scored 11 with five rebounds and five assists, and David Mendez had six in the loss.

The Pirates have now slipped into the consolation bracket, where they will face Escalante, the No. 19 seed, at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. These two have faced off once before this season, on January 14 on the road, when they handed the Moquis an 87-50 loss.

A win and they will take on the winner of the No. 10 Wayne Badgers and the No. 15 Wendover Wildcats.