MINDEN -- The Douglas High gymnasium hasn't been kind to Carson boys basketball coach Bruce Barnes. Four games and four losses, including two to rival Douglas, was what Barnes was trying to overcome when his Senators played the Tigers on Saturday in the 7th-8th place game at the 2nd annual Carson Valley Classic.
"I thought we might have to do something different," Barnes said. "I don't know, I thought about changing outside or something. Look I'm even wearing Douglas colors."
Whatever he changed up in his normal routine must have worked because Barnes, dressed in a polo with an orange logo, finally put an end to the streak.
Seniors Ricky Correlli, Ryan Henry and Curtis Dixon each scored 11 points as Carson beat Douglas 60-42 and kept itself from going winless in the tournament.
The Senators lost to Merced (Calif.) in the first round on Thursday and then shot only 33 percent from the field in a four-point loss to Fallon on Friday night. Things were a bit different against the Tigers, who are still left looking for their first win of the season after dropping all three in their own tourney.
"We shot the ball better today," Barnes said. "We've been shooting miserably. We had a lot shots today that we should've made (the last two games)."
Carson (1-2) forced Douglas to turn the ball over 10 times in the first half while it turned it over only twice. Correlli, Rory Wunsch and Ed Jaquette all hit 3-pointers in the first quarter as the Senators opened up a 17-9 lead and led 26-17 the halftime.
The third quarter proved to be decisive as Andy Bohm hit three straight shots to start the third as Carson went on a 13-2 run to go up 39-21 with 4:02 left in the quarter. The Senators hit 9-of-15 shots in the third, including both of their 3-point attempts, as they outscored the Tigers 24-10 in the third. Carson had only two turnovers through three quarters and its pressure defense made Douglas cough the ball up four more times in the third.
"On defense, we need a lot of help," Barnes. "We don't have a lot of size but they aren't overly big, either. So it wasn't really a factor today."
Barnes got a bit tense after the Tigers went on an 8-0 to start the fourth because despite leading by 15, Barnes called a timeout after Colton Mellows' basket made it 50-35 with 5:09 left in the game. Obviously Barnes has a good memory. Both of his previous two losses to the Tigers in this same gym occurred after his team held big leads in the fourth quarter only to see Douglas make furious comebacks and eventually pull out victories.
Didn't happen this time, though.
Henry stopped the run with an inside basket and Carson knocked down 4-of-7 free throws in the quarter as it held a double digit lead the rest of the way. Jaquette and Bohm both finished with nine for the Senators, who play Fallon on Tuesday at Morse Burley Gymnasium.
"I figured this is right about where we would be considering hardly any of our guys have any varsity experience," Barnes said. "
Andy McIntosh was the only Douglas player in double figures as he finishes with 10. Mellows and Luke Rippee both finished with six points for the Tigers, who shot only 30 percent from the field (16-of-53).