Buena and Red Mountain have bathed in success the first month of the girls basketball season with nine victories apiece.

What neither possessed prior to their weekend matchup was a marquee win. A triumph over an opponent with tradition and/or a glossy record to boot. The team that took advantage in that category Saturday night was Red Mountain.

Red Mountain turned back Buena''s game-long rally with solid defense in the final four minutes to post a 62-56 Division I victory at Red Mountain.

Red Mountain (9-2),which starts four seniors, got a game-high 17 points from 6-foot-4 post Shea Brown. Gabi Alonzo added 12 points (six in the first quarter to key the Mountain Lions fast getaway. Mariah Willadsen chipped in 11 and Maddie Willadsen had nine.

Buena's only two losses prior to Saturday were to 10-1 Palo Verde and 10-2 Tucson High. Both rest in the top six of the current D-I or D-II power rankings. Red Mountain's defeats came against 11-1 Highland and 8-3 South Mountain. Again, both schools reside in the top six of D-I or D-II power rankiings. Getting a win in this one meant a better-than average power-point triumph and some confidence heading to holiday tournaments and play in the new year.

"We got off to a great start," Red Mountain coach Martin Appel said. "That's what we've done often this year. They just kept coming at us. Our defense in the fourth quarter was outstanding. That's what kept us in front."

Buena (9-3), which starts one senior and plays mostly sophomores and a freshman, committed 12 turnovers in the first quarter. Red Mountain's press bothered Buena and the Mountain Lions sank three 3s and made 50 percent of their field goals in the first eight minutes. Little wonder Buena trailed after one period, 20-7. That lead reached 24-7 early in the second before the visiting Colts settled in and began pecking away at the deficit.

A steal and layup by senior Ashlee Whitehead at the halftime buzzer brough Buena within 40-32. The rally continued in the third period with Buena cutting the margin to four several times. Offensively the comeback was led by Whitehead, sophomore Dominque Carpenter and junior Nidja Thomas. That trio combined for 40 points on the night, with Carpenter netting 16, Thomas 13 and Whitehead 11.

Thomas made two free throws with 4:20 left in the game to pull Buena within 55-54. At that point Appel returned Brown and Maddie Willadsen to the lineup as each had sat for a quarter and half- quarter, respectively, with four fouls.

Brown's return made a big difference as she blocked two shots and forced a turnover down the stretch. Reserve guard Jenn Pasquale, who contributed a pair of 3-point field goals in the second period, came up with a pair of steal in the final four minutes. Buena's only points in final four minutes came on a layup Red Mountain gave the Colts with 20 seconds left.

"They are a veteran team with mostly seniors," Buena coach Trish Perez said. "We made some little mistakes and when we did they capitalized as they should. It took us some time to adjust at the beginning, but we chipped away and stayed with it.....

"We have a tournament at Arcadia coming up and then we play Dobson and Cienega after that. We're young, but they've transitioned to varsity now."