Although the loudspeakers at Morse Burley Gym blared "Eye of the Tiger" to pump up the Carson boys basketball team, it was the North Valley Panthers who came out all fired up.
And while the Senators kept North Valleys guards Archie Kovich (16 points) and Bryan Coursey (11) relatively in check, the Panthers' balanced attack was too much for Carson, and they improved to 6-5 in the Sierra League and 13-10 overall with a 63-53 win Saturday.
With the defeat, Carson (4-7, 10-15) remains mathematically alive in their Northern 4A playoff hunt, but it would have to sweep its last three games (against South Tahoe, Wooster and Hug) and then get a lot of help.
Although Carson prevented North Valleys from matching its 50-point second half and didn't allow Coursey and Kovich to combine for 60 points as they did in the first game (Jan. 20), the Senators missed several early shots and got too far down early to mount an effective rally.
"Carson did a great job of jamming Bryan and Archie. I'm just thankful the other guys stepped up and scored," said Panthers coach Kyle Cerfoglio.
In addition to Kovich and Coursey, three other Panthers - Chad Croxon (13), Travis Wilmoth (10) and Devanair Hogan (10) - scored in double figures.
Coursey hit a 3-pointer and Croxen added a bucket to to put Carson behind 5-0 early. Even though senior forwards Jake Jeffers and Jack Jacquet would tie at 5-5, the Senators lost any momentum they may have had when the Panthers went on a 7-0 run while Carson missed several shots.
"That was big," Cerfoglio said. "The same thing happened over at our place (a 77-65 North Valleys win). Carson missed a lot of layups. Fortunately for us they missed them. We could've just as easily been down 10 (if they made them) instead of up 10."
Up 14-10, the Panthers went on a 17-4 run over a span of 5 minutes, 44 seconds, to jump up 31-14.
Later, after a Kovich layup, sophomore Rob Valerius hit a basket and Brooks Greenlee hit a 3-pointer to draw Carson to within 33-20 at halftime.
Senior Kevin Brush opened the third quarter with a long jumper to cut North Valleys' lead to 11, and after Hogan hit a pair of free throws, senior Adam Houghton got the Senators to within 10 with a three, but the Panthers weren't about to be denied and built an 18-point lead by the end of the period.
"The good thing about our team is that isn't tentative," Cerfoglio said. "That's how we play (up-tempo and shooting). I toyed with the idea of putting in a delay game at practice, but the guys looked like they thought I shot their mothers. Their eyes drooped and they said, 'Don't do that again. I said, 'I won't do that again.'"
Junior Zach Weismann led the Senators with 13 points, while Houghton and Jake Jeffers each added seven.
Carson coach Bruce Barnes credited the Panthers for showing up prepared.
"They got all over the loose balls," Barnes said. "They knew what was at stake and they came here and took it away from us. And what was at stake was a playoff spot."
Barnes said his team faces an uphill battle for a playoff spot.
"Mathematically we're still alive," Barnes said. "We could've controlled our own destiny. Now we have to count on other people to take care of business for us. We can win out and still get in if some things happen that I suspect won't happen."
Carson will travel to South Tahoe and face the Vikings today. The game is a rematch of one Carson won at home two weeks ago.
"We talked about what we did wrong (after the game). We have to bounce back and be ready to play," Barnes said.
Carson-South Tahoe begins at 5:15 p.m.