RENO - The drought is over.
After six losses to open the season - two in league play and four at last week's Morro Bay Invitational - the Carson High girls' basketball team finally got into the win column.
Tiana McAllister-Daggs scored a career-high 14 points and Eliza Matley added 12 to lead the visiting Senators to an easy 44-23 win over Damonte Ranch Tuesday night.
"On the way home from Morro Bay all we talked about was focusing on Damonte Ranch and that we had to get a win," McAllister-Daggs. "It feels great (to finally win). This will help us the rest of the season."
"I knew it (the first win) would come some day; I was hoping," Carson coach Todd Ackerman said. "We played a couple of good teams in California. We've played pretty well. We needed this win."
And, one of the reasons why Carson got it was because of the inside play of McAllister- Daggs.
The 5-foot-10 senior, who had a pair of 10-point games in Morro Bay, has been an offensive dynamo of late.
She made her presence felt immediately with consecutive three-point plays to spark a game-opening 13-2 run. The Mustangs had nobody who could match her height and physicality.
"Those (plays) got us going," Ackerman said. "She is tough inside and she has a nice little shot (from outside). We probably should have given her the ball a lot more."
That would suit McAllister-Daggs just fine, thank you very much. She is happy with her increased role this year.
"I've matured more," she said. "I'm focusing on basketball a lot more. I'm hoping I can work the ball more this year."
After Damonte cut the lead to 13-6 after one, the Senators went on a 12-1 run in the first six minutes of the second quarter to take a 25-8 lead. Savannah Smith and Emily Collins had two baskets each in the surge. Smith finished with nine points.
Matley, who was saddled by foul problems early, scored eight of her 12 in the third quarter as the Senators increased their lead to 25, 39-14.
The fourth quarter was a ragged one between turnovers and poor shooting. The Senators went 1-for-12 and turned the ball over five times.
"We tried to push it a little more," Ackerman said. "I'm fine with it as long as we're trying to do something. I don't like the mental ones (mistakes)."
Carson played with just nine players, as Maddi Saarem who suffered a concussion in Morro Bay hasn't passed her concussion test yet. She is expected to try again later this week.
