LOS ALAMOS — He will no doubt collect plenty of wins in The Pit — that happens when you commit to a top 10 college basketball program, such as The University of New Mexico — but Alex Kirk wants victories inside that famous venue wearing the green and gold of Los Alamos High School.

Kirk and the Hilltoppers will have that chance after zipping around and past Piedra Vista on Saturday in the first round of the Class AAAA Boys State Basketball Championships.

Sixth-seeded Los Alamos countered No. 11 Piedra Vista's ineffective press with a parade of layups, rolling to a 89-56 win.

Hilltoppers guard Zack Parks used his speed and anticipation to convert missed shots and turnovers by the Panthers into quick Los Alamos points. Parks finished with 17 points.

"This was one of the first teams we saw that pressed off the miss," Kirk said. "When we saw that we knew that Zack could leak a lot, and that's what he did. He played a great game. He finished big time."

Kirk posted his typical big numbers in a performance that was more efficient than spectacular. The 6-foot-11 center scored a game-high 28 points, plucked 14 rebounds and blocked four shots.

Brandon Owens added 12.

Los Alamos (19-9) will play Academy on Wednesday morning at 8 in The Pit. Kirk's future home has been so far unkind — he is 0-3 there as a Hilltopper.

Said Kirk: "I'd like to win a game before I get there. I've never done that."

The Chargers are the No. 3 seed coached by one of the state's most respected and successful coaches, Mike Brown.

"We play 3-2-1," said Los Alamos head coach Alan Kirk, referring to his likely progression through the tournament against the top three seeds. "It's the toughest trip you can have going to the state."

If the Hilltoppers do continue on that road to the state championship game they almost certainly will face more drama than what unfolded Saturday.

Piedra Vista (16-12) started cold and presented little resistance to Los Alamos. The manifold turnovers didn't help. The Hilltoppers led 18-5 after the first quarter.

Even though the scoreboard didn't reflect it, the second quarter provided most of the game's few brief bursts of excitement and emotion. Piedra Vista displayed its 3-point shooting ability and started to take care of the ball better.

The teams traded points for most of the quarter with Los Alamos holding a 21-20 edge.

A flare of emotions and physical play resulted in a technical foul against Los Alamos' Wade Archuleta and some frustration in the stands.

Early on, Piedra Vista tried to slow down Kirk by standing in front of him as he ran down court. The teams became more aggressive. At one juncture Archuleta was on the floor in the backcourt clutching his abdomen. He screamed toward an official: "He kicked me in the stomach!"

No foul was called, so Archuleta punched the floor and promptly received the technical.

The loom of further confrontation never materialized. Archuleta finished with six points and eight assists.