Vinnie Reymus scored 13 points, including a trio of three-pointers, to pace a balanced attack that helped the Carson High School boys basketball team to an important 59-50 Northern 4A Division II victory at home against Fallon on Tuesday night.
Carson outscored Fallon 24-15 in the second quarter to take charge of a game between teams that were tied for third-place coming into the contest at Morse Burley Gymnasium.
"That was a huge win," Carson coach Tom Andreasen said after watching the Senators improve to 3-1 in Division II (12-7 overall). "Fallon, that's a good basketball team. They've got some thoroughbreds."
Four players scored in double figures for Carson, including Reymus with 13, Cody Longero 12, Lee Biddlecome 11 and Matt Leck 10. Kevin Cote also contributed nine, including a big three-point bomb late in the third quarter.
Defense and control of the tempo were key factors during the pivotal third quarter, according to Andreasen.
"I thought we picked up our defense and picked up the tempo. Once we got the tempo going, their press wasn't as effective," he said.
Make that team defense, thank you.
"We all came together and played some good defense and we got some baskets because of it," Leck said. "(Marc) Liveratti taking the charge, that was a big momentum change."
Cote's 3-point bomb from the top put Carson on top 42-34 with 1:18 remaining in the third quarter - the largest lead of the game up to that time - and the Senators got the ball back moments later when Liveratti took a charge on the other end of the court. Carson cashed in when Cote fed Liveratti for a layup that made it 44-34.
"We like to bring Liveratti in at the end of each quarter and put him on the other team's top scorer," Andreasen said. "He always does a good job in that role."
Fallon did come back to cut the gap to 48-44 on Casey Cooper's layup with 4:25 left to play. But the Senators answered as Biddlecome hit a short jumper, Leck sank a pair of free throws then Longero stole the ball and fed Reymus for a baseline jumper as Carson extended its lead to 54-44 with 3:20 showing on the clock.
Turnovers were critical in Fallon's downfall, according to coach Corey Williams.
"Our ball handling, period," said Williams, whose team is now 2-2 in Division II (9-6). "We weren't able to take care of the ball and our movement away from the ball was nonexistent. We've been pretty good about that, but tonight we weren't."
Six-foot-3 junior Aarik Wilson, the 4A state triple jump champion last year, scored 17 points (including a breakaway slam dunk) and blocked three shots to supply a highlight for the Greenwave.
Notes ... A 30-point first-quarter surge boosted Carson's J.V. boys to an 87-55 win against Fallon in a shoot-out between teams that were unbeaten in Division II. Adam McKenzie scored 21 points (three three-pointers), Ryan Buttner 15, Josh Carter 11 and Steve Weyrick 11 to help the Senators (4-0, 15-1) rack up their season-high point total. Seven players scored during the 30-point first quarter ... Andy Heldenbrand scored 20 points and Casey Drews 16 as Carson's freshman boys posted a 66-54 win at Fallon. Andy Bohm also scored six points during a third-quarter run in which the Senators outscored Fallon, 20-10.