4A Playoffs: Manogue, Reno girls play for title

After posting easy wins in Friday night’s 4A regional semifinals, Bishop Manogue and Reno will meet for the regional championship for the fifth consecutive season.

Manogue subdued Reed, 62-47, and Reno steamrolled Spanish Springs, 51-26, at Morse Burley Gym.

The two regular-season champions will lock heads at 4 p.m. today at Carson High with the winner advancing to next week’s state tournament at Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus.

This will be the rubber match in what has become an annual tradition. Reno won in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and the Miners have won the last two match-ups. Manogue also won this season’s crossover game by 10 points back on Dec. 15.

“It’s what we wanted,” Manogue coach Carlnel Wiley said. “They are a good team.”

“I expect them to play 84 feet, trap and shoot the 3,” Reno coach Shane Foster said. “I feel good. This is one of our goals to make the regional finals and give ourselves a chance to make state.”

Reno, which swept the season series against Spanish Springs (61-22 and 61-40), never let the Cougars get on track.

The Huskies used an 11-2 run at the end of the first quarter to grab a 17-6 lead, and Reno pretty much enjoyed a double-digit lead the rest of the way. Mikayla Shults had five points in the final three minutes of the opening quarter, and she finished with a team best of 15. Kaitlynn Biassou also reached double figures with 13.

Biassou had six in the second quarter and Megan Dericco knocked down a three to make it 32-18 at the half.

Neither team generated much offense to start the second half.

Reno turned the ball over four straight times, while Spanish Springs missed two free throws, missed its only field-goal attempt and turned the ball over twice.

Dominique Harding scored a basket, and Hana Hackbusch and Shults each drained a free throw to make it 36-18 with 3:20 left. Shults scored four more points in the quarter, as Reno upped its lead to 40-21 after three. Spanish Springs managed just three points in the quarter.

Reno opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 surge, as Shults had five, and Harding, Hackbusch and Biassou added two each. The Cougars were held without a basket in the final eight minutes.

Ireland Bennett led SS with seven points.

“Our turnovers were lower than they have been the last few games,” Foster said.

Bishop Manogue, led by Kenna Holt’s 18, 15 from Malia Holt and 14 by Katie Turner was never seriously threatened by Reed in the opening game of the night.

Reed closed to 8-7 midway in the first quarter and trailed 14-9 with 1:25 left. After that it was all Miners. How dominant was Manogue? Over the final 28 minutes, the Miners outscored Reed 54-38.

The Miners closed the opening quarter on an 11-2 run, keyed by two 3-pointers by Malia Holt. Manogue maintained the momentum in the second quarter, going on a 10-3 run, extending its lead to 28-12 with 5:35 left in the half. Kenna Holt had a 3-pointer and three other players contributed baskets. The Miners led by 11, 31-20, at the half. Manogue had just three points in the final four minutes of the half. The cold streak wasn’t costly, as Reed only had six in that stretch.

Manogue went on a 12-4 surge in the first four minutes of the second half, extending its lead to 43-24. Turner and Malia Holt contributed five apoints apiece in that span.

Manogue got sloppy at the outset of the fourth quarter, turning the ball over three times and missing a shot. Reed went on an 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to 48-36 with 5:48 left in the game. Serene Townsell-Williams and Taylor Johnson had two buckets each in that stretch.

The Miners scored 10 of the next 15 points to restore order and essentially put the game away. Kenna Holt had two 3-pointers to lead the way.

Autumn Wadsworth led Reed with 14 points.