On Saturday evening, the Green River Pirates welcomed the Monticello Buckaroo to the gym, and Green River didn’t waste time taking advantage of the Buckaroo. The Pirates were up 42-27 at halftime and used the rest of the game to put the Buckaroo away, taking the win 78-50.

Green River sits at 11:00 and 7 overall with a 4-0 mark in region play. They also hold the No.7 spot in the latest rankings from MaxPreps and the Utah High School Activities Association. With just five games left to go, the Pirates are in a pretty good spot heading to the State Championships.

Green River came out firing open in the opening quarter, outscoring the Buckaroo 20-12. It was the second quarter where the Pirates created even more distance between them and Monticello, putting up 22 in the quarter and holding the Buckaroos to 15 as they headed to the locker rooms up 42-27 at halftime.

In the second half, the Pirates kept their foot on the gas, maintaining their lead and quietly building on it, outscoring Monticello 16-12 and going up 58-39 as both teams headed into the final eight minutes. The Pirates continued their scoring and, on the defensive end, held the Buckaroo to 11 points in the fourth, as Green River came away with the 78-50 win.

Jason Hernandez led the way for the Pirates, scoring 26, adding 11 assists, five rebounds, and four steals. Rolando Aguiano added 20 points with eight assists, seven blocks, and three rebounds, and Jesus Escalante had 11 with five rebounds, an assist, and a steal in the win.

Next up for Green River is a home date with the Pinnacle Panthers on Wednesday evening.

The Panthers enter the contest with an 8-7 overall record, carrying a 1-2 mark in region play, and hold on to the No. 12 spot. This is the first of two meetings between the two teams before the end of the season.

Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.