Senators open playoffs at Spanish Springs tonight

Carson High’s boys basketball team opens its playoff run with a first-round game tonight at Spanish Springs.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

This is the second time the teams have met this year. Two weeks ago, Carson dropped a 43-42 decision at Spanish Springs.

Carson coach Carlos Mendeguia expects tonight’s game to be just as hard fought as the first time.

“Kyle (Penney, Spanish Springs coach) is a very defensive-oriented coach,” Mendeguia said. “He likes to play you tough. They are going to know what we’re going to do, and we know what they are going to do.

“We need to do a better job with our help-side defense. We didn’t do a good job of rotating. Hopefully the second time we’ll do better job.”

Carson can hopefully put the clamps on Kenny Meyer, who scored 29 of the Cougars’ 43 points. Meyer enters tonight’s game with a 20.5 average followed by Dupree Kness at 8.8 and Jake Longero at 7.5.

Meyer is one of the best shooters in the north. Dupree is coming off a 17-point effort in the season finale against Reed.

“They have a freshman who comes off the bench and is probably their second-best shooter,” Mendeguia said. “We need to do a better job on Meyer.”

Carson got a nice effort from senior Austin Shaffer, who returned from a sprained ankle in the season ender. He scored eight points, including two 3-pointers, against Douglas.

“It gives us another defensive player,” Mendeguia said. “He said he got a little gassed because he hadn’t played in a while.”

Carson needs to get more offense from both Alan Cohen and Kyle Steele to complement Cameron Price, who has been the Senators’ best offensive player all year.

Penney hopes that the home-court advantage helps tonight.

“We have to be excited,” Penney said. “We have a home playoff game which is what you work for the whole season. We have to be excited to play before our home fans.

“We didn’t play our best that day. Carson may have had something to do with that. Carson is a very good team. Carson executes really well and they move well without the ball.”