North seems to know how to beat Red Mountain this season.Get behind big early. Lull the Mountain Lions asleep and pick the right time to pounce.

It worked for the second time in three weeks Friday night as the Mustangs overcame a 12-point deficit early in the third period to post a 66-61 win over host Red Mountain in a 5A-I boys basketball game.

"I wasn't sure how we would play tonight," North coach Joseph Bustos said. "We lost a tough game in overtime last night to Desert Vista. We started out sluggish but found a way to get back in it. Red Mountain came out strong and battled us. It was a good one to pull out."

North rallied to beat Red Mountain in the season opener of the Salpointe Tipoff Classic on Nov. 22, 64-60. In that game North trailed by 11 in the final minute of the third period. Friday night the Mustangs erased a 12-point deficit early in the third and even led by seven points later in the quarter. They headed to the final period trailing, 47-46.

North (6-3), the defending 5A-I champions, are working in a lot of new faces in their bid to be competitive and defend their title. The play of junior guard Jordan Bellamy Friday was critical as he scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. Bellamy tallied eight of those points in succession in the final 3 1/2 minutes either putting North in front or adding to a narrow lead at crunch time.

"Alan (Williams) and Jordan have been our steadiest players," Bustos said. "We were able to pressure them more as the game went on. Those two played very well. So did (Mike) Scroggins."

Williams, one of the holdovers from last year's title team, has struggled this week due to illness. The 6-foot-7, senior center found enough reserve after resting much of the first period to score 15 points and block at least six shots. Scroggins finished with 17 points, 15 in the second half.

Red Mountain (6-3) led 15-5 after the opening period and 31-21 at the half. Point guard Kevin Torres was the key to the fast start, scoring all 10 of his points in the first half, mostly by taking the ball to the basket.

Red Mountain scored the first basket of the third period to take a 33-21 lead. The next time the Mountain Lions scored came after a 15-0 run by North keyed by Williams, Bellamy and Scroggins. That trio scored 23 of the Mustangs' 25 points in the period.

"Their pressure caused us problems and we became impatient at critical times," Red Mountain coach Greg Sessions said. "We did not handle the pressure well."

Red Mountain's final lead of the game came after Eric Pacheco sank a 3 with 2:12 left for a 59-58 lead. Bellamy answered those with a pair of baskets penetrating the middle of the lane for runners and adding a free throw. Red Mountain did not lead the rest of the way.

As has been its custom this season, Red Mountain got balanced scoring. Juan Zuniga led the Mountain Lions with 14 points. Pacheco had 13, Jordan Pratt 11 and Torres 10.