It’s a Struggle, but Carson Wins, 59-53

Carson Coach Richard Masson’s voice had been among the loudest protesting the City Section’s playoff pairings, specifically the second-round matchups it would potentially create.

Kennedy almost made it a moot point Wednesday night.

The Colts needed 26 points from William Thomas--13 of them in the fourth quarter--to score a 59-53 victory over the Cougars in a 4-A Division first-round game at Carson.

Carson (18-7), the Pacific League champion, will play Washington, a 72-36 winner over Banning, in a second-round game Friday night. Kennedy finished 17-9.

Rudy Washington, Carson’s leading scorer during the regular season, added 20 points and seven rebounds for the Colts. Joe Wyatt had 18 for Kennedy.

Playing without point guard and playmaker Shondrell Taylor for most of the game because of foul trouble, the Colts could never shake the Cougars. Their lead dwindled to two points with less than three minutes to play.

But Thomas and Washington took over down the stretch and the Colts hung on. Washington had a mammoth dunk and a baseline jump shot and Thomas made five consecutive free throws and a jump shot to secure the victory.

“Thomas saved the day for us,” said Masson, in his 10th year at Carson. “He had a super game. Rudy wasn’t on tonight. It wasn’t a typical Rudy game.”

Taylor’s foul trouble obviously hurt Carson. “He was never a factor,” Masson said. “He’s the kind of guy that gives our offense its spark. We didn’t have that.”

Taylor got three fouls in the first quarter and had to take a seat. Meanwhile, the Colts’ offense struggled without him.

Led by Wyatt’s three-point shooting, the Cougars took a 15-14 lead after the first quarter.

But with Stanley clogging the middle, the Colts’ defense swarmed the Cougars, holding them to only four points in the second quarter. Wyatt, who had eight points in the first quarter, had only two in the second half.

Washington had eight points and five rebounds in the half as Carson took a 22-19 lead.

Carson will have a chance to avenge a seven-point loss to Washington earlier in the season.

“It’s different when you’ve already played somebody,” Masson said. “We know what to expect.”