LANCERS ABLE TO EDGE FALCONS
If you thought this game would be easy. If you thought the Carlsbad High School boys basketball team would roll over Torrey Pines after winning the National Division of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, you’ve never seen Torrey Pines play.
The Falcons, ranked No. 4 in San Diego and No. 43 in the state, gave top-ranked Carlsbad — ranked No. 1 in San Diego and No. 8 in the state — all it could handle in the North County Coastal League opener before senior Tony Duckett took over in the fourth quarter.
Duckett scored 13 of his gamehigh 23 points in the fourth quarter and Carlsbad survived, 67-61.
“We didn’t want to lose. It came down to that,” Duckett said. “We’re the No. 1 team in San Diego, and we have a target on our backs. We were a little flat in the first half. We may have underestimated them a little.
“We needed to turn it up a little. Play better defense.”
The game was tied or the lead changed hands 28 times.
Carlsbad and Torrey Pines were knotted 53-53 midway through the fourth quarter when Duckett scored a bucket and followed with two free throws.
Torrey Pines got a 3-pointer from Zach Jackson to cut the Carlsbad lead to one, but Duckett again made a pair of free throws.
“This is exactly what we expected,” said Carlsbad coach Clark Allard, who was on the Torrey Pines coaching staff for several years. Torrey Pines is so well coached. They take away everything you like to do, cut off passing lanes, make it tough to score.”
Jake Hall of Carlsbad (16-2, 1-0), who came into Tuesday averaging 20.9 points per game, finished with six. But he had five rebounds and five assists.
“Good players find a way to contribute,” Allard said.
Euan Davis, a transfer from El Camino, played perhaps his best game for Carlsbad, scoring 12 points. Jael Martin scored six, but blocked five shots and had four rebounds.
Jackson led Torrey Pines (13-5, 0-1) with 17 points while Cody Shen added 13.
Carlsbad raced to a 7-0 lead to start the game, but Torrey Pines drew even at 16 on Max Zylicz’s basket just before the end of the first quarter.
The back-and-forth second quarter saw the lead change hands seven times with Tristan Guzman’s 3-pointer with 55 seconds left in the half giving Carlsbad a tie at 30.
Torrey girls outlast Carlsbad Torrey Pines 62, Carlsbad 50:
Torrey Pines (7-11, 1-0) got 16 points from Grace Trusso and 14 from Zoe Lau and opened North County Coastal League play with a win.
Carlsbad (11-8, 0-1) was led by Georgia Hawk, who fouled out after scoring 16. Kyra Smith added 12 for the Lancers.
The game was tied at 30 at the half and Torrey Pines led 41-37 after three quarters before scoring 21 fourth-quarter points.