The Carson High boys basketball team controlled the tempo and made its free throws to advance to the semifinals of its division in the Las Vegas Holiday Prep Classic.
Carson defeated Manual of Denver 53-50 on Friday. The Senators advanced to the semifinals where they'll play Upper St. Clair (Pennsylvania) at 8:30 a.m. today. Carson would advance to the 4:30 p.m. championship game with a win.
Manual featured two players who have signed with Division I schools.
"They wanted to run up and down," Carson assistant coach Carlos Mendeguia said. "They're very athletic.
"We controlled the tempo. We took them out of their game and they got frustrated."
Carson led 29-24 at halftime and led throughout before Manual took a 50-49 lead with one minute left. But Adam McKenzie made 4-of-4 free throws to give the Senators the win.
McKenzie, named the game's most valuable player, controlled the tempo at point guard.
"He was our quarterback," Mendeguia said. "He had to go against some very quick guys."
Carson made 26-of-33 free throws while Manual was just 0-for-1. Vince Inglima, who led the Senators with 23 points, was 10-of-14 from the line.
Ryan Buttner scored 13 points. McKenzie scored all eight of his points from the line, going 8-for-8. Ryan Henry scored five points as he was 3-of-4 from the line and Ricky Correlli was 4-of-5 from the line for the Senators (10-2).
BONANZA 62, CARSON 44
Southern Nevada power Bonanza (11-1) outscored Carson (7-4) 17-4 in the second quarter to build a 34-14 halftime lead at the Basic High Tournament in Henderson.
The Senators cut the deficit to 10 in the third quarter. "They we kind of ran out of gas," Carson coach Paul Croghan said. "We just dug ourselves a hole in the first half. We didn't play well in the first half."
Erin Stieber and Katie Kotter each scored 10 points, Terri Niederer had nine points, Brittany Puzey had seven points and Talia Joyce added six points for Carson. The Senators will play two games today at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
ARVADA WEST 80, GALENA 42
Still playing underhanded, the Grizzlies couldn't keep up with Colorado's No. 2 team from Denver in the Las Vegas Holiday Prep Classic. "They played extremely well," Galena coach Tom Maurer said.
Galena was without three starters, including Joe Heaton and Derek Lorenzen. Tommy Myers scored 16 points and David Robinson added 12 points for the Grizzlies.
In other action, Douglas beat Sheppard 46-36.
