With star forward Manny Rodriguez out with a knee injury, Kevin Lusterio stepped up and scored 39 points for Carpinteria’s boys basketball team on Saturday in the Fillmore Tournament’s third-place game. Unfortunately, he was called for his fifth foul with two seconds left and the game tied. Nordhoff’s Logan Crowe made one of his two free throws as the Rangers pulled out a 51-50 win.
Lusterio, a point guard, went 12-for-21 from the field and made 15 of his 17 free throw attempts, including three straight to tie the game with 20 seconds left.
“He was outstanding. He was unbelievable,” said coach John Ward. “I was proud of the kids’ effort. We were missing basically 50 percent of our offense, and Nordhoff’s a good team.”
The rest of the team besides Lusterio went 4-for-18 on field goals. Carpinteria hosts the Jim Bashore Cage Classic next weekend, opening up against Fillmore on Friday.
NORDHOFF 51, CARPINTERIA 50
NORDHOFF — Espinoza 8, Logsdon 2, Swezey 4, Crowe 20, Lowen 3, Dyke 6, White 4, Johnson 4. Totals 20 6-9 51.
CARPINTERIA — Chavez 2, Babineaux 2, Sova 4, Bustillos 1, Saenz 2, Lusterio 39. Totals 14 18-26 50.
Nordhoff…15 14 10 12 — 51
Carpinteria…20 10 9 11 — 50
3-pointers — N 5 (Crowe 2, Dyke 2, Lowen), C 4 (Lusterio). Total fouls — N 21, C 12. Fouled out — Sweyze, Lusterio.
