The Evanston High School boys’ hoops team opened 4A West Conference play Thursday in fine fashion, edging out I-80 rival Rock Springs 61-59.

The Red Devils then followed that Friday with a 63-45 thumping of Green River to complete the first leg of the I-80 rivalry series.

The Red Devils (7-4, 2-0 in 4A West) continue conference play this week, with games at Star Valley Thursday, and Saturday at Jackson.

Red Devils 61,

Rock Springs 59

Behind a 52.2% shooting percentage from the floor — including five 3-pointers — the Red Devils earned their first 4A West — and home court — win in a nailbiter, 61-59.

Evanston got off to a sluggish start, allowing the Tigers to build a 22-15 lead after a quarter of play. The Red Devils outscored Rock Springs 13-12 in the second, though the home team trailed 34-28 at the break.

The two teams played close to even in the third, though the Red Devils dialed in for the final frame, holding the Tiges to seven points, while scoring 16 points of their own to earn the two-point win 61-59.

Three Red Devils finished the game in double figures, led by senior Jordan Mendez, who had the hot hand from behind the arc, drilling three 3-pointers and finishing with 22 points; he also tied for the team lead in assists with five, and led the team in steals, with four. Clayton Cook netted 15 points to go along with seven rebounds, while Ryker Lind finished with 11 points, as well as five assists.

Brenner Lym finished the night with eight points, followed by Brooks Searle with five points; Jay Hill closed out the scoring with three [points, to go along with five assists and three steals.

The Red Devils turned the ball over just nine times in the contest, and won the battle of the boards, 21-19.

Red Devils 63,

Green River 45

Playing once again to a packed house, the Red Devils welcomed in Green River Friday night for another 4A West Conference showdown.

The teams played each other nearly even for the first eight minutes, with the Wolves holding a slight edge at 14-13 heading into the second quarter. The Red Devils created a bit of separation as the game neared its halfway point, with the home team taking a 29-24 lead into the break.

The third quarter was all Red Devils, as Evanston dropped 19 points on the Wolves, extending their lead to 48-33 heading into the final frame. Green River kept it close in the fourth but was unable to cut into the lead, and the Red Devils coasted to a 63-45 win.

The Red Devils shot a respectable 53.1% from the floor, compared to 36.8% from their I-80 rivals. Evanston hit on just 3-of-16 from behind the arc for a 18.8% clip, though they sank 72.7% of their free throws on the night (8/11).

The Red Devils won the battle of the boards 25-20, and scored 22 transition points, to just three for Green River. Once again, Evanston did a nice job taking care of the ball, turning it over just seven times, to 18 for the Wolves.

Jordan Mendez once again led the charge for the Red Devils, netting 19 points, to go along with four steals and four assists. Clayton Cook followed with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Ryker Lind flirted with a double-double, finishing with 10 points, and grabbing nine boards.

Brooks Searle and Ryker Pace finished with six points apiece, while Jay Hill and Brenner Lym closed out the scoring with two points each.