For the first 17 minutes Friday night, Red Mountain kept things close with Mesa.

But that's when the Jackrabbits went with the long ball and clamped down defensively, using a fast and furious third quarter ralley on its way to a 51-35 victory over Red Mountain in a 6A East Valley Region contest at Mesa High.

Senior AJ Seumanu hit two three pointers and led the 'Rabbits (18-5, 7-0) with 20 points and seven rebounds. Teammate Jarren Galarza added 10 points, including a pair of three-point field goals and a two steals, one of which came on a Red Mountain inbounds pass, leading to a quick layup during a 17-3 run in the third quarter. 

Mesa hit six three-point field goals combined, with Daniel Arnett adding two of his own.

"We put in alot of work with our three point shooting," Mesa senior Mcky Peters said of his team's performance Friday night. "We have so many guys who are capable, so it's nice to see it pay off when it counts."

Red Mountain (12-11, 5-2) narrowly lost to Mesa by three points when the teams met two weeks ago at Red Mountain. For a while Friday night, it looked as if the Mountain Lions would push the Jackrabbits to the limit once again.

Brice Bigler led Red Mountain with 11 points, and the Mountain Lions traled 21-16 at the halftime break. One minute into the third quarter, Gage Lindsey knocked down a three pointer to bring the Lions with two points (21-19). 

That's when Mesa broke the game open on its 17-3 run, and eventually going to the fourth quarter with a 38-24 lead. Six different Jackrabbits scored during the run, which was capped off by a mid range jumper from Daijon Grayson.

Red Mountain wasn't about to lay down, however. The Lions went with a full court press in the fourth quarter, forcing a slew of turnovers and cutting Mesa's lead to single digits (42-33). That's when Galarza catalyzed another run for Mesa, including his second three-pointer before converting a layup after a steal, making the score 49-33 with 1:44 to play.

"Jarren is instant offense off the bench and he always makes the right play at the right time," Peters said of Galarza. "He knocks down big shots and he just brings so much energy and effort it motivates everyone."

Mesa will travel to Mountain View next Tuesday night, while Red Mountain hosts Westwood.