Manogue rallies to top Carson boys

RENO — Carson High concluded its most disappointing week of the season with a 51-48 loss to Bishop Manogue on Tuesday night in a second-place Sierra League showdown.

The Senators went 0-2 on the week, and the road setbacks at Galena and Manogue dropped Carson into third place with a league mark of 5-2 and a 9-4 overall mark. The loss may have cost Carson a chance to host a first-round regional playoff game.

This one was especially tough to swallow because the Senators had a 46-38 lead with 2:45 remaining, but were outscored 13-2 down the stretch.

“We just got complacent (in the fourth quarter),” Carson coach Carlos Mendeguia. “We weren’t executing down the stretch. With that eight-point lead and less than three to play, we should have been able to close it out.

“Give Manogue credit. They have five guys that can put the ball on the floor. They can make it tough on you. Our seniors need to step up and help get guys in the right spots.”

Manogue’s comeback wiped out a nice fourth-quarter effort by Tez Allen, who scored eight of his 10 in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter.

Geraet Rauh dropped in a 3-pointer to put Carson in front, 35-33. Manogue missed its next three shots, and Allen scored on the ensuing possession each time to boost the Senators’ lead to 41-33 with 5:05 left. After Brevon Bansuelo scored, Allen scored again with 3:30 left to make it 43-35.

Kolton Frogoli scored three points on a free throw and a putback off an offensive rebound, slicing the lead to 43-38. Jayden DeJoseph (15 points) drained a 3-pointer to give Carson the eight-point lead with 2:45 left. It also was the time when the game went south on the Senators.

Treys by Brandon Concepcion and Frogoli cut Carson’s lead to 46-44. Taylor Saarem made it 48-44 on a reverse lay-up off a pass from Allen. Gabe Bansuelo posted up and converted a three-point play to make it 48-47, and then Frogoli stripped Brandon Gagnon near midcourt and turned it into a lay-up and a 49-48 Manogue lead.

“That was key,” Mendeguia said. “That was a huge, huge play. We put Brandon in a difficult position. We had a three-year varsity guy pass him the ball. The three-year varsity player should want the ball in his hands. It was a tough spot for Brandon to be in.”

The Miners had a foul to give, and took one with 18.9 left. Allen misfired with 8.1 left, and Carson fouled on the rebound.

“I thought I had a clear (path) to the basket,” Allen said.

“He (Allen) didn’t give us a chance to call anything,” Mendeguia said.

Aidan Cantwell drained the two free throws for a 51-48 lead. The Senators tried to set up DeJoseph for a game-tying 3-pointer, but Manogue defended the play well, and Allen was forced to take a long 3-pointer from the corner.

It was a tough 3 1/2 quarters for Allen, who went scoreless in the first half.

“Manogue played a 2-3 zone and really packed it in,” Mendeguia said.

DeJoseph had seven in the opening half, which saw Carson yield leads of 8-0 and 14-7 en route to falling behind 18-17 at the half.

Carson shot 33 percent from the field and turned the ball over 11 times in the opening half.

Carson has three games left, and the Senators need to beat Damonte, Wooster and Douglas, and hope Galena knocks off Manogue on Friday.

Even then it might not be enough for Carson to get back up to second and host a first-round playoff game.

Carson is hosting regionals this year.