Senators top Reno for division title
Submitted by Brett Fisher on Sat, 02/20/2016 - 9:10pm
Carson High secured its first trip to the NIAA Division I state boys basketball playoffs in 13 years with its win Friday night against Galena.
On Saturday night, the Senators had not only punched their state tournament ticket, but they took home the Northern Division I regional championship as well by defeating the Reno Huskies, 51-45.
The regional title is Carson’s first since 1995, KOLO-TV Channel 8 and the Reno Gazette-Journal reported, and its state playoff berth is its first since 2003, according to the Nevada Appeal.
The Senators led by eight points, 15-7, at the end of the first period Saturday night. But Reno High crept back in the second eight-minute frame, and eventually took a five-point, 27-22, lead at halftime.
The Huskies outscored Carson 20-7 in the second period, including a 7-3 run from about the five-minute to the three-minute mark, pulling to within one point of the Senators.
Reno then outscored Carson 8-2 in the last two minutes of the first half to snag the lead going into the break.
Carson High, however, fought back in the third period. It surged ahead, 29-27, after about three minutes ticked away in the quarter, and it never relinquished the lead from there.
The Senators gradually increased their lead in the third frame by as much as seven points, outscoring Reno 14-3 in those eight minutes. They held the lead by four points, 34-30, after three quarters of play.
Then in the fourth and final period, Carson widened its lead by eight points, 42-34, with less than five minutes left to play.
Reno had closed the gap to within three points, 48-45, with about 44 second left in the game. With just 20 ticks left on the game clock, the Huskies, still trailing by three points, forced a jump ball and gained possession. But they missed a three-point field goal attempt and Carson grabbed the rebound.
The Senators sunk a free-throw to lead by four points, 49-45, with four seconds remaining, and then added two more at the end of regulation to secure the final score.
Carson High’s unbeaten streak continues, one that started before Christmas 2015. It preserved a perfect 16-0 regular season league record in 2016, and has now won three playoff games in a row.
The Senators, undefeated through the entire month of January and so far in February, have had their mettle tested a few times, including the last two regional playoff games against Galena and Reno High.
They advance now to the NIAA Division I state boys basketball championship playoffs held Thursday and Friday, Feb. 25-26, at Lawlor Events Center in Reno.
