At last, Carson boys get a win

The longest losing streak in Northern 4A boys basketball is over.

Thanks to 31 points from Rafe King, the Carson Senators , who hadn't won since Dec. 29 against Reno, snapped an 11-game league losing streak and beat Bishop Manogue 73-70 in overtime Tuesday night at Morse Burley Gym.

The game was tied at 60 at the end of regulation, and Carson outscored Manogue 13-10 in the extra period.

The Senators are 2-13 in league heading into Thursday night's (7:30 p.m. tip) league and home finale against Galena.

"I was starting to wonder (if we'd win again)," King said after the game. "We played Douglas and Hug tough, and then we didn't play well against Spanish Springs and Wooster."

"When you lose so many games (in a row), the hardest thing is to keep the kids motivated," Carson coach Carlos Mendeguia said. "I told the kids at this point we're playing for pride. We've been playing hard."

Neither King or Mendeguia figured this would be the game that would end the losing streak. No doubt Wooster would have been at the top of that list.

King scored 28 of his points in the second half and overtime period. He went 1-for-7 in the first half, but he never lost the faith and kept shooting.

"The first half I was probably forcing it," King said. "I told myself I was going to keep shooting and just try to help get us back in the game."

The third of King's 3-pointers in the fourth quarter gave Carson a 60-55 lead with 1:45 left in regulation. Manogue's Bryce Hallam nailed a jump shot to make it 60-57 with 1:24 left. Carson had two opportunities in the next 40 seconds, but Dylan Sawyers (13 points) missed two free throw and Austin Shaffer missed the front end of a 1-and-1 situation, the latter coming with 31.9 left.

Manogue's James Sandoval sank a 3-pointer with 20.8 left, tying the game at 60. Joey Garrett stole the ball from King on the ensuing possession, but Sandoval's game-winning attempt was off the mark.

Manogue grabbed a 65-64 lead with 2:13 left in OT on a 3-pointer by Remy Dillard, but a follow shot by Shaffer, two free throws and a nice drive to the basket by King and a free throw by Sawyers gave the Senators a 71-65 lead with 28.4 remaining.

Another trey by Sandoval chopped Carson's lead to 72-70 with 10.4 left. King drained one of two from the line to make it 73-70 with 7.7 left. Dillard's attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer was well off the mark.

King finished 10-for-21 from the floor, making nine of his last 14 from the field. Sawyers added 13 and Bruce McIntosh 12.

"I told Rafe before the second half to keep his head up," Mendeguia said. "I told him he was due for a few 3-pointers and to keep looking and take good ones (shots)."

In King's absence in the first half, it was Sawyers who picked up the slick. The senior, enjoying probably his most effective offensive game, had nine in the first 16 minutes to help Carson to a 26-24 lead.

"I still feel a little shaky out there," Sawyers said after the game. "I was a little more aggressive tonight and used my speed to get to the basket."

"He's just getting (more) comfortable," Mendeguia said of Sawyers' play. "I don't think he realized how good he could be. I think he's figuring out things that he can do out there."

The teams were tied four times in the third quarter - 30, 32, 35 and 37. King's trey game Carson a 40-39 lead with 1:38 left, but Keni Rogers sliced the lead to 40-39 with a driving lay-up with 30.4 remaining in the quarter.

That set the stage for a wild and entertaining fourth quarter.