The Carson girls basketball team struggled to handle North Valleys' trapping defense in a 67-41 loss in Reno on Tuesday.
Carson fell to 5-3 in the Sierra League while North Valleys improved to 4-3. With its second round win over Carson, the Panthers hold the advantage in the race for third place in league play. But Carson is also still in the race for second, particularly if it can beat Douglas at home.
North Valleys used a trapping defense to build a 19-8 lead after one quarter and led 35-14 at halftime. "They just came out and jumped on us early," Carson coach Alana Williams said.
The Panthers also had a huge advantage from the foul line, skining 19-of-33 while the Senators were just 7-of-12. Sarah Johnston and Andrea Hoff each scored nine points for Carson.
CARSON JVS 47, NORTH VALLEYS 44
Sarah Evans scored 16 points, Megan Kilty added nine points, Abby Rankl had eight points, Whitney Hoote and Beth Perez each had six points and Lydia Peri added two points in the win for the Carson junior varsity girls basketball team (14-2, 6-1).
CARSON 39, NORTH VALLEYS 26
Defense helped ignite a fourth-quarter surge in which the Senators pulled away thanks to a 14-1 run over a four-minute span.
Carson held a 25-21 lead before Kayla Sanchez converted a steal into a breakaway layup to start the run. Erin Johansen got a steal off the press moments later and then took a return pass from Sanchez for a layup. Morgan Nuckolls converted another steal into a layup, then Kelli Brothers got a steal and fed Sanchez for a layup that extended the lead to 33-22.
Nuckolls finished with 10 points and Sanchez nine to lead Carson offensively. They each scored six points in the final period.
Amanda Osborne also scored six points and Johansen four to help the Senators.
Carson (4-3 league, 9-7 overall) has beaten North Valleys in two of three meetings this season.