Two scoring bursts - the first in the game's opening four minutes and the second in the third period - were key Monday to Red Mountain extending a modest winning streak to three games.

Nolan Kurtz, Zachary Working and Bennett Moore scored in double figures to lead Red Mountain to a 57-51 victory over Queen Creek in a 6A  non-region afternoon contest at the Lions Den.

Red Mountain (7-5) got off to a fast start opening up an 11-0 lead a little more than four minutes in. The Mountain Lions, who never trailed, led 13-6 after the first period and 25-18 at halftime. The margin reached 42-26 late in the third period thanks mainly to a set of four, three-point field goals. Three were from the left-hand of Working, one each from left of the key, top of the key and right of the key. The other was by Moore. That barrage gave Red Mountain leeway enough to hold off a mild Queen Creek challenge in the final quarter.

Working's play was first on coach Chris Lemon's mind postgame. Working was the only junior along with four seniors in Monday's starting lineup. 

"Zach, he's our wild card," Lemon said. "The things he can do penetrating and making some shot he did today. It was big we got stops early in the game and turned them into offense. Queen Creek is a scary team. Probably the best 2-8 team you'll see. We didn't take them for granted."

Kurtz paced Red Mountain with 15 points. Working posted 12 of his 14 points in the second half. Moore totaled 13 with eight in the second half. Moore also had defensive duty on Queen Creek's top scorer, 6-foot-8 senior forward Jaxton Bobik. Bobik averages 19 points a game and finished with 11. He can score inside and outside, but did not score from the perimeter in this one.

"I thought Bennett did a great job defending him," Lemon said. " If we did allow him catch it inside we wanted to make him uncomfortable."

Junior guard Raydon Thorson led Queen Creek (2-9) with 15 points and junior Thomas Goates came off the bench to tally eight.