Charles Whisnand
The Carson High girls basketball team had its inside-outside game going in the championship game of its own tournament on Saturday.
With that combination, the end result was that Carson was unstoppable on the offensive end in a 54-40 win over Lowry, considered one of the better 3A teams.
"That's a scrappy team," Carson coach Alana Williams said. "They're a very good team."
But Carson built a 22-point lead on its way to the win. The Senators received a balanced attack inside from Andrea Hoff and Nicole Scott, who each scored 12 points, and outside for Ciarra Christian, who scored 17 of her 21 points in the first half.
Christian's style of play is infectious and her facial expressions are right up there with Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher and Jim Carrey. Christian, along with Katie Kotter and Tabitha Adams, are providing the leadership for the Senators.
Kotter only scored five points and Adams didn't score, but their contributions can't be measured in stats.
"It's nice to watch Tabitha, Ciarra and Katie work together," Williams said. "Tabitha played great defense."
Christian was named the tournament's most valauble player and Kotter and Hoff joined her on the all-tournament team.
Kotter did hit a key three-pointer early to give Carson a 12-5 lead. Carson extended its lead to 27-14 when Emily Johnson found Scott for a basket. Christian hit three threes in the second quarter and her last two treys gave Carson a 37-22 lead.
"That is difficult to defend," said Williams about Carson's inside-outside game. "You can't collapse on the post players if you've got to go out and respect the guards."
Hoff's left-handed baby hook shot gave Carson a 41-24 lead and the Senators took their biggest lead at 51-29 when Christian hit two free throws. All of Carson's starters sat out the entire fourth quarter. Sarah Johnston's foul line jumper in the period gave the Senators a 53-36 lead.
"They're picking up the defensive intensity," Williams said. " They're taking care of the ball a little better."
Williams said Hoff and Scott can play even better. "I'd like more," said Williams about their scoring. "I'd like to see them to be able to score as they're pretty much capable of doing."
Carson will be tested beginning on Thursday when it competes in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. The event features some of the nation's top teams and is scouted heavily by college coaches. Other schools from Nevada in the event will be Reno High and Centennial, considered the heavy favorite to win the state 4A title.
"It will be nice to see how Nevada schools fare against bigger competition," Williams said. "It's great exposure. I think it's a great opportunity."
Others named to the all-tournament team were: Mackenzie Swecker, Magen Dufurrena, Lowry; Aleisha Kelly, Rodriguez; Becky Murphy, Fernley; Johnna Ward, Spring Creek; Ashley Sloan, Fallon; Laura Sherman, Elko.
DOUGLAS 49, NEVADA UNION 38
Coming off a lopsided loss the night before, the Douglas High girls basketball team rebounded to post a 49-38 victory against Nevada Union (Grass Valley, Calif.) Saturday during the West Coast Showcase at Reno High School.
The Tigers (4-3) were coming off a 75-58 loss the night before against undefeated Bear River, a game in which they allowed 51 points in the first half. Saturday, they beat a Nevada Union squad that won a tournament last week in Merced, Calif.
"Today, we challenged them to compete, and they did," Douglas coach Werner Christen said. "They did a much better job on defense and on the boards. Yesterday, Bear River was getting a lot of second, third and fourth shots against us. We were only giving up one shot today and that was huge."
Julie Gingrich scored 12 of her game-high 21 points in the first quarter to help stake the Tigers to an early lead. Douglas led 16-11 at the end of one quarter and limited the Miners to just two points in the second period en route to a 28-13 halftime lead.
Brittany Puzey also scored 12 points and Erin Brinkmeyer seven for Douglas. Heather Gore led Nevada Union with 11 points.
OAK RIDGE 45, GALENA 42
Caitlin Crofts and Alyse Iverson each scored 10 points for Galena.
