Coming off a 20-4 finish the previous year the Lady Dinos were looking forward to getting back in to post-season play as they started the 2019-2020 campaign. Led by head coach Ted Bianco the ladies made it through the pre-season 9-4. Making their way through the season they were the only team all year to defeat the 3A State Champion South Sevier Rams.

Getting into the 3A State Championship Tournament as the No. 5 seed they would fall to region rival Richfield in the quaterfinals, falling into the consolation bracket they finished the tournament in fifth place overall.

Below are recaps of every game and also season leaders in top categories:

November 19- North Sanpete- Win 57-5

The Carbon Lady Dinos opened the 2019-2020 campaign with a major statement, blasting through the North Sanpete Hawks 57-5 in Mount Pleasant.

Holding North Sanpete scoreless through the first quarter of the play, the Lady Dinos carried an 18-0 lead into the second quarter. The Carbon defensive onslaught continued throughout the remainder of the first half as their lead grew to 32-2 at the break.

Senior Jordan Bianco led Carbon in the victory with 13 points. Junior guard Makenna Blanc reached double-figures with 12 points. The blowout victory allowed the senior led team to give way to underclassmen, allowing every player that suited up to see the floor.

Fellow seniors Abbie Saccomanno and Cora Lamborn each contributed nine points. The blowout victory allowed the senior led team to give way to underclassmen, allowing every player that suited up to see the floor.

November 26- Grantsville- Loss 64-57

The Carbon Lady Dinos Basketball team took to the road as they traveled to Grantsville to take on the Cowboys. Though holding the lead at halftime the Dinos would fall 64-57.

Grantsville was the runner up in last years 3A State Championship falling to the Emery Spartans. The
Cowboys return all but three seniors from last years squad and appear to be ready to make the long run to a state championship again. Led by junior Mason White with 23 points and 11 rebounds and senior Ashlee Edwards with 21 points and 9 rebounds, the Cowboys used a 31 point second half to take the win at home.

Senior Jordan Bianco led all scorers with 30 points going 6-of-9 from the three-point line. Cora Lamborn another senior on this years team chipped in with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Makenna Blanc added eight points and four assists. The Dinos returned seven seniors this year and with that veteran leadership look to be in the hunt when the post-season rolls around.

December 5- Springville- Loss 38-36 Shannon Johnson Tournament

In game one the Dinos would stay close with 5A Springville, going into the half tied at 16. Springville would go on a 20-10 run in the third quarter to create a little distance however, Carbon would outscore them 10-2 in the fourth unfortunately coming up just short.

Abbie Saccomanno would lead the way in this one with 15 points and two steals, Makenna Blanc would drop in 11 points and five rebounds.

December 6- Orem- Win 60-37 Shannon Johnson Tournament

In their first game of the day Dinos would face Orem, another team from the  5A ranks. This game was all Dinos early and often. By the end of the first quarter Carbon led 18-3 and pushing the halftime lead to 20 points. Carbon found their stride in this game coasting to the 23 point victory.

Saccomanno led the Dinos once again with 12 points, four rebounds, six assists and five steals. Jordan Bianco would add 11 points to go with her six assists and five steals. Blanc and Cora Lamborn would drop in 10 points each in the win.

December 7- Skyridge- Loss 45-40 Shannon Johnson Tournament

In the first of two games Carbon would play on the day, the Dinos would face Skyridge, a 6A school from Lehi. Carbon would actually take the 21-13 lead to the locker room at halftime however, Skyridge would use a 17-7 third quarter run to get back in this game. A 15- 12 fourth quarter would all but put this one away for Skyridge handing the Dinos their second loss in the tournament.

Makenna Blanc would come up big for Carbon with 16 points and five rebounds. Abbie Saccomanno would also add 11 points to go with four rebounds and four assists.

December 7- Wasatch Academy- Win 50-37 Shannon Johnson Tournament

In the final game the Dinos would lead every quarter against Wasatch Academy a 2A school from Mount Pleasant.

Bianco would score 21 points in this one hitting five three-pointers. Blanc added 13 points to go with eight rebounds and two assist in the victory.

December 10- Union- Win 52-24

The Lady Dinos were on the court against the Union Cougars, jumping out to an early 16-3 lead. The Dinos would need little more to put Union away 52-24.

Carbon would lead after one quarter keeping Union in single digit scoring for every quarter. Carbon pushed their first quarter lead to 22 by halftime and 30 by the end of the third quarter. This game was dominated by the Dinos in every aspect with 24 team rebounds and 19 steals to go with a 70% free throw shooting percentage.

Jordan Bianco led the way with 12 points in this one to go with three steals, two rebounds and two assists. Makenna Blanc went for 10 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists. Abbie Saccomanno and Cora Lamborn both chipped in with eight points. Saccomanno added seven assists, six steals and two rebounds while Lamborn added eight rebounds four steals and one assist.

The Dinos will have a day to recover as they will head to Colorado on for the Fruita Tournament. They will play three games in as many days starting with Palisade at 3:00. They will also face teams from Grand Junction and Fruita.

December 12- Palisade- Win 49-17 Fruita Tournament

In a show of dominance from beginning to end the Carbon Lady Dinos easily defeated Palisade 49-17 in Fruita, Colo.

Playing the first of three games in three days, Carbon opened a 12-2 lead by the end of the opening quarter. The Lady Dinos turned the sizable advantage into a one-sided affair with a 17-2 run in the third period, making the final stanza a formality.

Senior Abbie Saccomanno poured in a game-high 13 points to pace Carbon to its third consecutive victory. Cora Lamborn chipped in with eight points, while Diana Morley and Jordan Bianco each scored seven.

Defensively Carbon was on point from the beginning. Allowing just five field goals throughout the tilt, the Lady Dinos kept Palisade from reaching double-figures in any single quarter.

December 13- Grand Junction- Win 39-13 Fruita Tournament

Carrying over momentum from the Palisade victory, and a three-game winning streak, the Lady Dinos blasted through Grand Junction 39-13 Friday evening.

Carbon recorded 19 steals as a team and managed to hold their opponent to just three field goals throughout the game. Up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Dinos cruised through the final three periods to record its fourth straight victory.

Makenna Blanc logged a team-high 15 points to go along with nine rebounds and six steals. Bianco continued her efficient play with 11 points, seven assists and four steals. Saccomanno again stuffed the stat sheet with nine points and five rebounds.

December 14- Fruita Monument- Loss 44-28 Fruita Tournament

Despite scoring lopsided victories in the first two games of the weekend, Carbon’s four game winning streak was brought to an end in a 44-28 decision to Fruita Monument in the tournament’s final game.

Trailing 9-5 at the end of the opening quarter, the Lady Dinos slipped further into a deficit after being outscored 15-1 in the second. A mini run in the third quarter put Carbon back into striking distance, but the team was unable to complete the comeback after being outscored by six the fourth.

Bianco paced the Carbon offense in the loss with 14 points, 12 of which came from beyond the three-point line. Saccomanno and Morley each finished with six.

December 17- Duchesne- Win 52-33

The Lady Dinos welcomed the Duchesne Eagles to Price last night. And after ending the first quarter down one, the Dinos turned it on going in to the half up by eight. They would continue their push coming away with a 19 point victory.

Carbon sits at 7-4 on the season and will wait until tomorrow to see where they sit when the initial RPI rankings will come out. Currently their record has them in fourth place in Region 12, behind Richfield, San Juan and South Sevier. The RPI is a system that the UHSAA is using to position teams when the playoffs roll around in February.

Leading the way for the Dinos was Abbie Saccomanno with 17 points, four assists and three steals. Makenna Blanc dropped in 12 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and four steals and Jordan Bianco added 10 points four assist and one steal in the win.

December 27- Uintah- Win 56-43

The Lady Dinos faced the Utes from Uintah in Price. Down by six after one quarter, they cut the Uintah lead to three by the half and then used a late third quarter push to take the lead and hold on to it winning 56-43.

The Uintah Utes came out early and it looked as if they may walk away with this one, but the Dinos put the clamps on defensively, registering 16 steals and then the offense started to take over outscoring the Utes 31-15 in the second half.

Abbie Saccomanno led all scorers with 22 points, she also added five assists and five steals to round out her stat line. Jordan Bianco went for 14 adding six assists and three steals and Makenna Blanc had 8 points with five assists and three steals.

January 2- South Summit- Win 65-37

The Carbon Lady Dinos started the 2020 calendar year with a dominating 65-37 win over the No. 8 ranked South Summit Wildcats in Kamas.

Led by Makenna Blanc’s game-high 15 points, the Lady Dinos improved to 9-4 on the season and strengthened their hold on the No. 5 ranking in the RPI. The loss drops South Summit to 7-7.

Carrying a one-point lead into the second quarter, Carbon’s defense kept South Summit from scoring double-figures in the next two periods. Up 14 entering the final stanza the Lady Dinos finished strong with a 22-11 run.

Senior Abbie Saccomanno continued her consistent offensive stretch with 14 points. Diana Morley finished with 11 points and Cora Lamborn ended with 10.

The road tilt marked the last game of the non-region season for Carbon. Faced with heavy competition throughout, only one of the team’s four losses came against 3A competition. Two were against higher classifications, while another was out of state in Colorado.

“Our region in my opinion is the toughest in 3A,” said head coach Ted Bianco. “I think our pre-season schedule was full of tough opponents. Hopefully that helps us understand the position that we are going to be in every night with region play.”

January 7- South Sevier- Loss 53-39

Carbon welcomed the #1 team in 3A to Price for the region opener and at the end of the night the Dinos were another victim of the 13-0 South Sevier Rams, 53-39.

The  Rams held an 11-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, however it was the middle quarters where the let Dinos let down occurred being outscored in the second and third quarters 28-13. Carbon outscored the Rams 17-14 in the final period but it was too little too late.

The Dinos were led by Diana Morley with 10 points in the game. Abbie Saccomanno added seven to go with her nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. Jordan Bianco also had seven points to go with her three steals and two assists.

January 9- Emery- Win 39-38

Carbon High School senior Jordan Bianco converted a go-ahead free throw in the final seconds to lift the Lady Dinos past the Emery Lady Spartans 39-38 at the Spartan Center in Castle Dale.

Locked in seesaw battle throughout, both teams held leads with major runs and different stages in the game. While Carbon held a 22-14 lead at the break, Emery captured the advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The final eight minutes proved to be a chess match that ultimately ended in Carbon’s favor.

Bianco posted a game-high 16 points, including three makes from beyond the three-point line, to lead Carbon to it’s first region win of the season. Abbie Saccomanno also reached double-figures with 12 points, two rebounds and two assists. Makenna Blanc and Brenna Tabone combined for nine points.

The win improves Carbon to 1-1 in region play and 10-5 overall. Entering the weekend the Lady Dinos remain No. 5 in the current RPI rankings.

January 14- San Juan- Win 53-50

The Carbon Lady Dinos managed to hold off a fourth quarter rally by the San Juan Broncos to earn a 53-50 win in Price.

Holding a comfortable advantage for most of the game, Carbon was forced to overcome a one-point deficit in the final two minutes. Passing another late game test with flying colors, the Lady Dinos improved to 2-1 in Region 12 play.

“We’re building confidence that we can be put into any situation and have a good chance of coming out with a win,” said head coach Ted Bianco. “Our last two games have been extremely close and our kids have done a heck of a job of playing the way they need to at the end.”

Senior Jordan Bianco paced the Lady Dinos with 20 points, six rebounds and two steals. Passing her season average in points, Bianco continued to be a lethal threat from the three-point line as she knocked down three shots from deep.

Fellow senior Abbie Saccomanno continued to stuff the stat sheet as she finished with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists. Cora Lamborn and Diana Morley each finished with six points.

January 16- Grand- Win 84-15

The Carbon Lady Dinos were on the road in Moab  to face the Red Devils in a region match-up. After holding them to 13 points in the first half Carbon would only allow two points in the entire second half taking down Grand 84-15.

The Dinos jumped out early scoring 31 points in the first quarter, and that point it was only a matter of playing three more quarters for Carbon, who notched their third straight region victory.

Carbon was led by Abbie Saccomanno with a game high 20 points to go along with her nine rebounds and four assists. Jordan Bianco scored 15, grabbing three rebounds and dishing out six assists and Cora Lamborn added 15 with five rebounds. The Dinos were on fire shooting 54% from the field including 4-of-10 from behind the three point line with 10 Dinos scoring in the game.

The Dinos are sitting at 12-5 and 3-1 in conference play. They are also ranked at #5 in the 3A State RPI, they are heading into arguably the toughest games on their schedule next week as they will travel to Richfield the #4 team in 3A and then will travel to Monroe to take on South Sevier the #1 ranked team.

January 21- Richfield- Loss 62-56

The Lady Dinos have been road warriors of late, it started as they would dismantle the Grand Red Devils in Moab, they continued their road trip last night in Richfield where the outcome was not as Carbon-friendly, as the Wildcats would hand the Dinos region loss number two by a score of 62-56.

The Dinos would keep it close all game going down by eight at the end of the first quarter and  they would cut that deficit to three at the half. They would get it to two by the end of the third, but the Wildcats would out score them by four in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

For the Dinos, Abbie Saccomanno dropped in 16 to go with seven assists, two rebounds and one steal. Janzie Jensen added 13 and grabbed two rebounds and Jordan Bianco had nine points all from behind the arc, two rebounds with one assist and one steal.

Carbon is now 12-6 and No. 5 in the RPI. Winners of three out of their last four, the Dinos  will head to Monroe where they will face the #1 team in 3A,  South Sevier. The Rams have yet to lose a game this season sitting with a perfect 17-0 record. Back on January 7 the Lady Rams visited Price and left with a 53-39 victory. In that game Diana Morley led the way for the Dinos with 10 points.

January 23- South Sevier- Win 45-42

The Lady Dinos are making their march toward the post season. Winners of three of their last four they headed to Monroe to face the No. 1 ranked South Sevier Rams. After a slow first half they would turn up the defense in the second and earn the 45-42 victory.

The Dinos were outscored by six in the first quarter, they would cut the deficit to one heading into the locker room at halftime. They came out in the third quarter and would hold the Rams to just eight points and would keep the defense going through the fourth to seal the win.

This was the first loss of the season for South Sevier, who now sits at 17-1 and carries with them the #1 ranking in the Utah High School Activities Association’s RPI for 3A. Presley Chappell led all scorers with a game high 18 points. Kenzie Jones and Brookell Brindley both scored nine in the loss for the Rams.

This game was sweet revenge for Carbon, they faced South Sevier in Price on January 7 and came out on the losing side of the 53-39 final. Makenna Blanc scored 11 for the Dinos to go with her three rebounds. Jordan Bianco dropped in nine along with five steals and one rebound and Abbie Saccomanno added eight to go with five rebounds, three steals and two assists.

The Dinos are sitting at 13-6 and hold the #5 spot in the RPI. They have  gone 4-1 in their last five games and  they seem to be playing their best basketball right now as we head into the final games of the regular season.

January 28- Grand- Win 83-18

The Lady Dinos have gone through the season amassing a 14-6 record and earning the No. 5 spot in the Utah High School Activities Association RPI rankings. They welcomed the Grand County Red Devils to Price. They were not gracious host as they defeated Grand 83-18.

Grand County has struggled this season. They only returned one senior off of last years team and have a roster that is loaded with freshman.

The Dinos were led by Cora Lamborn with 16 points, she also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out four assists. Jordan Bianco scored 12,  going 4-of-5 from behind the arc while gathering five steals and dishing out three assists. Abbie Saccomanno added 10 points to go with seven steals and seven assists.

The Dinos jumped out to an early 47-5 lead at halftime, then came out in the third quarter and only allowed two points. Grand would score 11 in the fourth but it was too little too late.

January 30- Emery- Win 49-36

The Carbon and Emery ladies basketball squads faced off for the last time in the regular season on . And as expected it was an entertaining game from the beginning. But when the dust settled Carbon came away with the 49-36 victory.

Carbon brought the defense holding the Spartans to 16 points and taking an 11 point lead to the locker room at halftime. Carbon would come out in the third and put Emery away outscoring them 16-6. Emery wouldn’t give up and came out in the fourth with a 14-6 run but by then the damage was done and Carbon would take the win.

For the Dinos Abbie Saccomanno would lead all scores with 17, going three-of- three from behind the arc, she would also hand out four assists while grabbing three rebounds and three steals. Makenna Blanc added 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists to the stat line. And Diana Morley and Jordan Bianco would each chip in with six points. Morley would have three rebounds and two assists and Bianco dished out four assists and grabbed two rebounds.

February 4- Richfield- Loss 46-38

Faced with a slow start the Carbon Lady Dinos were unable to overcome a double-digit deficit in a 46-38 loss to the Richfield Wildcats at home.

Trailing 18-8 at the end of the opening quarter, Carbon began to slowly cut into the Richfield advantage. Trailing by five entering the fourth quarter, the Lady Dinos were outscored 13-10 to close out the game.

Senior Jordan Bianco scored a game-high 15 points to go along with two rebounds and two assists in her final home contest. Abbie Saccomanno poured in 10 points, while Cora Lamborn contributed six points and six boards.

The loss ends all hope of Carbon gaining a share of the Region 12 title. Even though those hopes have vanished, the Lady Dinos are expected to remain one of the top five teams in the final RPI rankings.

With the home portion of the regular season now complete, Carbon will travel on the road to Blanding to meet the San Juan Broncos.

February 6- San Juan- Loss 65-55

The Carbon Lady Dinos wrapped up the regular season with a 65-55 loss to the San Juan Broncos in Blanding.

Making the longest road trip of the region season, the Lady Dinos were faced with an immediate deficit. Trailing by four at the end of the first half, Carbon was outscored 18-11 in the third quarter in the eventual loss.

As a team the Lady Dinos shot 33-percent from the field, connecting on just 19-of-58 attempts. The struggles from the field carried over beyond the arc where the team finished just 4-of-26.

Despite the offensive struggles senior Abbie Saccomanno managed to post a team-high 14 points to go along with three rebounds, two steals and one assist. Fellow senior Brenna Tabone notched 12 points, while MaKenna Blanc and Jordan Bianco each scored seven.

With the regular season now complete the Lady Dinos finish the region season 6-4, placing them third in the highly competitive division. Overall Carbon sits 15-7, which is expected to be enough to keep the team top five in the final RPI rankings.

February 14- American Leadership Academy- Win 50-32

The Carbon Lady Dinos rolled past the American Leadership Academy Eagles 50-32 in the second round of the 3A State Championship Tournament at the USU Eastern BDAC in Price.

Entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed, Carbon was paired with No. 12 American Leadership. Holding an 11-8 lead midway through the first quarter, Carbon closed on a 7-0 run to take a double-digit lead into the second. From that point on the Lady Dinos managed complete control for a comfortable win.

Senior Abbie Saccomanno posted a team-high 12 points to lead Carbon in a balanced scoring effort. MaKenna Blanc scored eight points and recorded six rebounds, while Sydney Orth also score eight in a reserved role.

Up 36-16 entering the break, the Lady Dinos put on a defensive clinic in the third quarter as they outscored ALA 11-2. The two points the Eagles came at the foul line as Carbon kept them without a field goal for the length of the period.

February 20- Richfield- Loss 50-36

The Carbon Lady Dinos traveled to Salt Lake for the final rounds of the 3A State Championship Tournament. They faced a familiar foe in the Richfield Wildcats. The two teams played almost even with the Wildcats taking a one point lead into the locker room at halftime, Richfield would outscore Carbon 17-9 in the third quarter and continue to push until they came away with the 50-36 victory.

This would be the third time this season that these two teams faced off with Richfield winning the first two meetings. Carbon had no answer for the low post play of the Wildcats on both sides of the floor. The Dinos also had difficulties finding the bottom of the basket shooting 29.4% from the field and only 1-of-11 from behind the arc.

The Dinos were led by Jordan Bianco with 13 points. Abbie Saccomanno scored eight points and added four rebounds, four steals and two assists. Cora Lamborn added six points while grabbing four rebounds and three steals. Makenna Blanc would add five  rebounds in the loss.

The loss drops Carbon into the consolation bracket and they  will await the loser of the South Sevier/Manti game. They never faced Manti this season, but they are the only team this year to defeat the South Sevier Rams who entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed.

February 21- Manti- Win 68-37

The Carbon Lady Dinos extended their basketball season with a dominating 68-37 win over the Manti Templars in the consolation bracket of the 3A State Championship Tournament at Salt Lake Community College.

Wasting no time establishing a sizable lead, the Lady Dinos opened the game up on a 15-2 run. That advantage continued to grow as Carbon would outscore Manti in each of the next three quarters.

“It’s always hard to come off of a loss in a tournament like this and play well the next day,” said head coach Ted Bianco. “I was so proud of what the girls did today. They came out with focus and a little bit of fire. They took the lead early and never looked back.”

After struggling from the field in the loss to Richfield, Carbon shot an outstanding 56-percent from the field in the win. Defensively the Lady Dinos disrupted Manti as they converted just 14-of-49 attempts from the field and 4-of-18 from deep.

Senior Cora Lamborn dominated throughout as she finished with 20 points on 8-11 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three steals. Abbie Saccomanno also reached double-figures as she scored 15 points and pulled down a game high six rebounds.

Jordan Bianco helped push the Carbon offense with 13 points, while Diana Morley ended with 10. A total of seven players scored at least two points as the Lady Dinos extended their season.

February 22- Morgan- Win 55-44

The Carbon Lady Dinos closed out the 2019-20 basketball season on a high note with a 55-44 win over the Morgan Trojans in the fifth-place consolation game of the 3A State Championship Tournament at Salt Lake Community College.

Ending the season with two consecutive wins, the Lady Dinos rebounded from a quarterfinals loss to Richfield with a dominating win over Manti. That victory set the stage for the fifth-place game.

“It’s always nice to finish your season with a win,” said head coach Ted Bianco. “There’s only going to be three teams in 3A that will finish their season with a win and we happen to be one of them. So I’m very proud of our kids.”

Tied 10-10 at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Dinos outscored Morgan 16-5 in the second. The two teams played even in the final half, with Carbon holding control throughout.

Junior MaKenna Blanc scored a game-high 17 points and recorded three steals to lead Carbon in the win. Senior Abbie Saccomanno finished with 15 points and four steals, while Jordan Bianco logged 11 points and four assists.

The win finalizes Carbon’s record at 18-9 overall, including a 6-4 mark in Region 12 play. The team also gathered a 3-1 record at the state tournament, earning wins over ALA, Manti and Morgan.

“I feel like all of these kids have kind of been our kids,” said coach Bianco when talking about the end of the season. “During the season you become a family. For the last three months we’ve been with these kids everyday. It’s been a hell of a ride and it has been a lot of fun to be with these kids.”

Statistical Leaders in Top Categories:

Scoring

Number	Name	PPG
14	Abbie Saccomanno	12.1
15	Jordan Bianco	11.6
30	Makenna Blanc	8.9
31	Cora Lamborn	6.5
2	Diana Morley	5.1

Rebounds

Number	Name	RPG
30	Makenna Blanc	5.7
31	Cora Lamborn	4.9
14	Abbie Saccomanno	3.7
2	Diana Morley	3.5
15	Jordan Bianco	2.3

Assists

Number	Name	APG
14	Abbie Saccomanno	3.9
15	Jordan Bianco	3.7
30	Makenna Blanc	2.3
35	Brenna Tabone	1.4
2	Diana Morley	1.1

Steals

Number	Name	SPG
15	Jordan Bianco	3.0
14	Abbie Saccomanno	3.0
30	Makenna Blanc	2.8
2	Diana Morley	1.3
31	Cora Lamborn	1.2