Barbara Lawlor, Gilpin County. The first Gilpin Eagles boys’ basketball game of 2015 was an edge-of-your-seat thriller last Saturday, January 10. Hosted by the Eagles, the close match ended with Gilpin beating the South Park Burros, 53-48.

The game was aced in the last three minutes of the fourth period as the Eagles found their target in free throws. In the first play of the game, Eagle Chase Boulter tipped the ball to Matt Immordino who bulls-eyed the basket before the Burros could react to the picture-perfect play.

Going into a stall, the Burros tossed the ball around the outside, not even trying to move through the Eagle defense. Before the end of the first period, Immordino scored three more times. South Park managed a three-pointer and two free throws to put in five points to the Eagles' eight, but they didn't get near the basket from inside.

After the slow first period, the Burros kicked it up in the second period, outscoring Gilpin by a field goal. South Park was still stymied by the Eagle defense, but they managed to make good on six free throws and by halftime had narrowed the gap, 16-15. It was anybody's game as the boys headed to the lockers.

It was still anybody's game in the third period. Bjorn Tomlinson sparked to life with a three-pointer and pulled in a foul and made the free throw. But the Burros also reared up and tied the score at the end of the third period 34-34.

Now it was a matter of who wanted it more. The fourth period was as tense as it gets in a Gilpin gym. Boulter got hot and Gilpin went ahead. South Park once again tied the score with free throws. Immordino went into action, hitting two field goals and two free throws and the score was 41-36.

With three minutes left in the game, the Burros ventured into Gilpin territory and scored twice, giving the Eagles a meager one-point lead, 41-40.

GHS freshman Tanner Davis took the edge off with a three-pointer. Immordino turned up the heat with a field goal and two free throws, and with about a minute and half, Gilpin capitalized on Burro fouls and hung onto the five-point lead in spite of South Park’s last-ditch efforts.

Period scores: 8/5  8/10  18/19  19/14

The next home game is on January 30 with varsity beginning at 6:30.