RENO — After rallying from a 10-point deficit to beat Galena in the first half of the season, Carson and coach Carlos Mendeguia expected Friday’s game to be an all-out war, and it was.
The Senators outscored Galena 12-2 in the final two-plus minutes of the game to wipe out an eight-point deficit and beat the Grizzles, 43-41, Friday night in a Sierra League boys basketball game.
Carson improved to 14-0 in league, while the Grizzlies dropped to 8-6 and now trail Bishop Manogue, 10-4, by two games with two games left in the regular season.
“I told the kids that 100 percent this would be a playoff atmosphere,” Mendeguia said. “They needed the win and we didn’t. I thought we showed a lot of character tonight to win on the road in a hostile environment.”
“Carson did a great job defensively,” Galena coach Brian Voyles said. “It was hard to get shots off. I thought Carson pressured us more than they did the first time. It was hard to get separation.”
For a two-point game, this was a strange one. Four big runs, two by each team, stood out.
Carson had a 19-4 run to open the game, and Galena had runs of 12-0 and 15-0 bridging the second and third quarter, and the third and the fourth quarter.
“It was a game of runs,” Mendeguia said.
And fortunately for the Senators, they fired the last salvo.
Trailing 29-25 with 1:52 left in the third quarter, Galena went on the aforementioned 12-0 run to take a 37-29 lead with 4:02 left in the game.
Zach Williams had four of his 14, Noah Peck had all four of his points and Moses Wood had a bucket.
After Tez Allen and Wood traded baskets, Carson took control the rest of the way.
Jayden DeJoseph, who led all scorers with 18 points, knocked down back-to-back 3s sandwiched around a Peck turnover to make it 39-37 with 1:39 to go.
After another Galena turnover, Asa Carter drained two free throws, tying the game at 39 with 1:29 left.
Galena took a timeout, and then Peck was called for traveling with 1:03 left.
DeJoseph put Carson ahead for good, 41-39, with 47.6 left. He had 13 of his 18 in the final two periods.
“I knew we had to start making some shot and that I had to be more aggressive on the perimeter,” DeJoseph said. “I never really thought we would lose, but I knew we would be in for a tough game and it would take our best effort.”
“He (DeJoseph) always has the green light to shoot the 3,” Mendeguia said. “We have guys that can shoot the 3, but we don’t live and die by the 3. We are always looking for the best shot.”
Tez Allen blocked a shot by Voyles on the ensuing possession, and then Carter made one of two from the line to make it 42-39. Galena misfired on a couple of threes and then Allen iced the game with a free throw with 10.9 remaining.
Though this one came down to the wire, it didn’t start that way.
Carson bolted to a 19-4 lead, hitting 61 percent from the floor including 3-pointers by DeJoseph and Kyle Krebs.
Carter and Allen picked up their second fouls in the first half, and the offense was stagnant without them.
Galena scored the final seven points of the half and the first eight of the second half to tie the game at 19.
“With Tez and I out, we were just trying to get to the halftime with the lead,” Carter said. “I thought our defense was very good. That is really the thing we do best.”
The Senators won’t get an argument from Voyles about that.