CIF Division 2 Finals: Carlsbad 72, RBV 54
What a difference a month makes. The Carlsbad Lancers entered Saturday’s CIF Division 2 finals winning six straight and 12 of the 13 after losing three straight games between Jan. 4 and Jan. 11. They made it seven in a…
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Continue ReadingWhat a difference a month makes.
The Carlsbad Lancers entered Saturday’s CIF Division 2 finals winning six straight and 12 of the 13 after losing three straight games between Jan. 4 and Jan. 11.
They made it seven in a row Saturday, soundly defeating top-seeded Rancho Buena Vista 72-54 to claim the D2 title, the school’s first championship since 2000.
Carlsbad entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. They defeated Oceanside, Mount Miguel and Bonita Vista en route to the finals win at RIMAC Arena.
The Lancers winning ways coincided with junior point guard Jailen Nelson becoming eligible after the sit-out period in late December. The Sage Creek transfer scored a team-high 21 points to go with 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
Nelson and senior wing Carter Plousha helped the Lancers build a 17-point lead early in the game before the Longhorns cut the lead to 6, at 43-37 with 1:46 left in the third quarter.
But the Lancers regrouped and pulled away, pounding the smaller Longhorns on the offensive glass for second and third-chance points. Senior forward Brogan Pietrocini grabbed 13 rebounds by himself.
Plousha, who scored the Lancers first five points, finished with 14 points, including a breakaway slam that punctuated the victory.
RBV senior guard Patrick McLachlan, an All Avocado-East performer, led the Longhorns with 24 points and 11 rebounds. The Longhorns suffered a major blow when junior standout Noah Fields suffered a knee injury just before halftime.