The Evanston High School boys’ basketball team added to its win column over the weekend at the Flaming Gorge Classic, posting a 2-1 record to improve to 3-3 on the season.

The Red Devils opened play Thursday with a 49-20 win over Farson-Eden, but came back to earth Friday against Thunder Basin, losing 48-28. Evanston closed out the tournament Saturday on a winning note, cruising past Pinedale 59-44.

“Overall, things went pretty well, minus our varsity game against Thunder Basin,” said EHS head coach Rob Watsabaugh. “Our JV and varsity combined for 5-1 on the weekend, which is really good for our program. Minus the hiccup against Thunder, I was pleased with how we played Thursday and Saturday.”

The Red Devils will host Mountain View Friday in their home opener, and Watsabaugh said they provide Evanston with some tough matchups.

“Watching them play this weekend, they’re a little faster than in the past, but a little smaller than they’ve normally been,” he said. “Our inside guys are going to have to guard the perimeter, stay in front of the ball. We’re going to hammer that home this week in practice, and we’re looking for a strong defensive effort, build on our game against Pinedale.”

Red Devils 49,

Farson-Eden 20

The Red Devils opened the Flaming Gorge Classic Thursday against Farson-Eden, and after a slow start, outscored the Pronghorns 16-0 in the second quarter to take a 23-5 lead at the break. Evanston continued to play consistent in the second half, en route to a 49-20 win.

“I was pretty pleased with our defensive effort in that game,” Watsabaugh said. “I think five points at halftime – we pretty much dominated the defensive end of the floor. We made them take a lot of tough shots that we’re willing to give up defensively, and we rebounded very well.”

Cohen Morrow led the charge for the Red Devils with 11 points, to go along with eight rebounds. Jordan Mendez and Ryker Lind followed with seven points apiece, while Jay Hill and Kai Barker finished with six points each.

“We had a good first half, then just continued that into the second,” Watsabaugh said. “We shared the ball well – I want to say nine or 10 guys got into the scoring column, which is good for our depth off the bench. A pretty good effort, all around.”

Thunder Basin 48,

Red Devils 28

Against Thunder Basin Friday, the Red Devils jumped out to an early 8-5 lead, and appeared to be in control of the game. A 23-8 run by the Bolts in the second quarter changed the complexion of the game in a hurry, however, and Evanston was forced to play catch-up in a 48-28 loss.

“We came out and had a really good first quarter, moving the ball well,” Watsabaugh said. “Then Thunder got hot and started making some tough shots.”

Jordan Mendez led the Red Devils with eight points, followed by six points from Cohen Morroe and four points each from Kai Barker and Clayton Cook. Paul Baxter, Brenner Lym and Luke Robinette rounded out the scoring, with two points apiece.

“We need to be a little bit better guarding the ball – not letting them drive middle, and get their open looks,” Watsabaugh said. “We played a little timid – we let their pressure dictate some of our offense, and that’s an area we can improve upon, moving forward.”

Red Devils 59,

Pinedale 44

The Red Devils rebounded in a big way Saturday, closing out the tournament with a 59-44 win over Pinedale.

Evanston once again got off to a fast start, outsourcing the Wranglers 25-8 in the opening quarter. Pinedale settled in and played with the Red Devils almost shot for shot the rest of the way, but were unable to chip away the lead, as Evanston won going away, 59-44.

“We started that game with really good energy – I thought we were well-connected, playing for each other,” Watsabaugh said. “We sustained our energy for four quarters, and played well on both sides of the floor.”

Clayton Cook paced the Red Devils with 14 points, to go along with five rebounds. Drew Barker followed with eight points, while Cohen Morrow, Jordan Mendez, Kai Barker and Luke Robinette chipped in six points apiece; Mendez and Morrow both grabbed nine rebounds in the contest.

“I think 11 guys scored in that game,” Watsabaugh said. “We shared the ball really well, and got multiple stops when we needed to. I was happy with how the team came out, after a tough loss Friday night. Clayton got rolling in that game, and our big sparkplug all weekend was Cohen Morrow – he makes game-winning plays, sacrifices his body – he can always be counted on to make those big energy plays for our team.”