With a Juab loss to Delta on Friday night, the Carbon Dinos needed a win against American Leadership Academy to wrap up Region 14’s fourth seed in the upcoming 3A Playoffs. The Eagles got the best of the Dinos again, this time upsetting the Dinos 51-46, forcing a coin flip between Carbon and Juab to determine the fourth seed in Region 14.
Carbon lost the flip after the game, claiming Region 14’s fifth seed. The Dinos will now face Region 15’s #2 seed, the Grand Red Devils, in the first round of the 3A Playoffs at Wasatch High School this Friday.
Carbon and ALA traded leads throughout the first half before Ryan Gagon hit a runner with 10 seconds left, breaking a 21-all tie going into halftime.
Carbon led by as many as eight, 29-21, in the third, but ALA came right back with an 8-0 run to tie the score again. The Eagles took a 37-33 lead after three quarters of play.
Just as ALA looked to put the game away in the fourth, Carbon came right back to get the lead, which had been as many as eight, down to three, 49-46, after Jordan Vasquez made one of three free throws with 22 seconds left. Carbon would foul on the ensuing ALA possession to put the Eagles on the line, shooting two. ALA missed both but a long rebound after the second miss went to the Eagles, who converted both free throws, sealing the win for the visiting team.
Gagon had a career-high 29 points to lead the Dinos. Derek Hillam added 11 more.
Carbon will play at 6:30 p.m. against the Grand Red Devils on Friday in the first round of the 3A Playoffs.
The Dinos finished the regular season with an overall record of 6-15, including a 5-7 mark in Region 14 action.
Watch highlights of the game below:
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- Photos by Jeff Barrett
