HENDERSON - Free-throw accuracy was the difference for the Carson High School girls basketball team on Wednesday afternoon, as it triumphed 37-28 over Chugiak (Eagle River, Alaska) in the semifinals of Basic's Lady Wolves Classic.
On a day when both teams were cold from the field - both connected on 10 field goals - the Senators shot 15-for-20 from the line to secure their third straight tournament win and advance into this morning's 9:30 a.m. championship game.
"It wasn't pretty, but it was a W and that's the most important thing," said coach Paul Croghan, whose Senators improved their overall season record to 8-2.
The Senators were only up by a 13-10 at halftime.
"We picked up the intensity quite a bit in the second half," said Croghan, who used 11 players during the course of the contest.
Pam Williams and Teresa Niederer shot a combined 9-for-12 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to help Carson close the door. Carson outscored the Mustangs from Alaska in the final period, 15-12.
Alyson Thurman scored a game-high 17 points for Carson, including a 3-pointer on her first shot of the game. Williams also scored 10 points, including an 8-for-10 performance from the free-throw line.
Freshmen Niederer and Talia Joyce both contributed down the stretch, according to Croghan.
"She came in and hit some free throws, blocked a couple of shots and grabbed three or four rebounds," Croghan said. "Talia Joyce also played most of the second half, so we got some pretty good minutes from our freshmen, which was nice."
Yerington 60, South Tahoe 58
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - Caitlin Talbot, who led the Lions (8-4) with 21 points, hit the winning free throws with two seconds left to sink the Vikings (2-9)
South Tahoe power forward Tirah Samura and center Chantelle Young combined for 23 rebounds on Wednesday, and sophomore guard Lindsey Hitt scored 17 points, for South Tahoe.
It wasn't rain, sleet, snow or dark of night that stopped the Vikings (2-9) from bringing home a win, but the inability to hit big shots.
After trailing by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter, South Tahoe rallied behind a defensive surge. The Vikings forced turnovers and Samura worked the boards - she ended up with 15 rebounds.
With time running under a minute, South Tahoe had a chance to tie the score or go ahead, but the referees called Hitt for an offensive foul, her fifth.
Yerington led 59-58 when Samura fouled Talbot, putting her on the line. Talbot made one of two, and the Vikings had one more chance with two seconds left. But Young couldn't get a shot off from half-court and Yerington held on.
Boys' Basketball
Smoky Hill 56, Galena 44
LAS VEGAS - Joe Heaton and Mike Atkinson made the Reebok Las Vegas Invitational all-tournament team, but Galena fell to Smoky Hill of Aurora, Colo., in the Bronze Division championship.
Atkinson scored 15 points and went 3-for-6 from the free-throw line, while Sam Sikes added nine
"We never gave up against one of the toughest teams from Denver," Galena coach Tom Maurer said.
Ryan Katz of Smoky Hill was awared the MVP of the bronze medal bracket.
Galena (10-3) will travel to Austin, Texas next Tuesday and face Westlake High School.
Carson wrestling
Billed as the "Toughest High School Wrestling Tournament in the U.S.," victories are certainly hard to come by at the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Carson coach Tim McCarthy won't dispute that after watching the Senators win a total of 17 matches during the two-day event, which attracted 90 teams from throughout the country to the Reno Livestock Events Center.
"It's a fun tournament to be at, but it is tough. There are no easy matches," McCarthy said. "It wasn't a tournament we went to expecting to place very high in, but hopefully the experience we gained will help us prepare for our conference and for zone."
Justin Sarnowski won four matches in the 130-pound weight class and Ben Johnson won three times at 215 pounds to lead Carson. All of Johnson's wins came on pins. Sarnowski lost his opening-round match, then came back to beat four straight opponents in the consolation bracket.
Doug Brooks won two of his four matches at 140 pounds, as did freshman 103-pounder Sergio Calvillo and senior 152-pounder Branden Lamborn.
There isn't much of a letup on the schedule for the Senators, who return to action next Tuesday and Wednesday at the 90-team Sierra Nevada Classic, also at the Reno Livestock Events Center.