Carson boys fall against Hug

With the Hug Hawks playing their fourth game in as many nights, Friday was as good a time as any for the Carson Senators boys' basketball team to catch its Sierra League rivals flat-footed.

Unfortunately for the Senators the Hawks still had plenty of legs and ran to a 67-61 victory at Morse Burley Gym.

"Since the Christmas break we've had four games in Los Angeles and three in the Wild West Tournament," Hawks coach Brian Voyles said. "I thought we'd be a little flat. I'm real proud of our guys. Their defensive intensity hasn't been there in a week. We were talking 'feet moving.' It was nice to see that."

At least it was if you were a Hug fan.

Four Hawks scored in double figures - Armon Johnson (18), Darryl Feemster (16), J.J. Blackford (13) and Eddie Cranford (12) - and had Carson trying unsuccessfully to slow them down the majority of the game.

After the Senators' Kevin Brush scored a layup to tie it 10-10 late in the first quarter, Hug went on a 7-0 run and left Carson to try and play catch-up the rest of the way.

The Senators' defense did a good job of shutting down Hug standouts Johson and Feemster in the first half, holding Feemster to six points and Johnson to five, and trailed 29-22 at the half.

"Our kids played hard," Carson coach Bruce Barnes said. "We missed some shots and here and there and they (the Hawks) are so quick. It was hard for us to stop their penetration and they made easy baskets off of it."

A Cranford layup put the Hawks up 31-22 to open the third, but senior Adam Houghton scored four of his 10 points during a 6-0 Carson run to make it 31-27.

Cranford followed with a 3-pointer, but a layup by senior forward Steve Mandoki and a jumper by Brush closed the gap to 34-31 with 5 minutes, 21 seconds left in the third.

Jack Jacquet, who led the Senators with 16 points, including 10 in the second half, once again brought Carson to within three at 36-33, but the Hawks went on a 9-0 run and never looked back.

"Carson always plays exceptionally hard," Voyles said of the Senators' surge. "You always have to keep the pedal down on this team."

Barnes said Feemster made it impossible to key only on the 6-foot-2 Johnson. He also said one game doesn't a conference season make.

"One down, 11 to go. We played one of the top teams in the conference," Barnes said. "You have to have a good game to beat that team with their athleticism and their ability to shoot the ball.

"As a team overall we played real hard. I told the kids if they played well I'd be happy. I'm not happy with the outcome, but I'm pleased with the effort."

Carson will host Damonte Ranch in its next game Tuesday at 7 p.m.

HUG 67, CARSON 61

HUG 15 14 20 18--67

CARSON 10 12 18 21--61

HUG (12-3, 2-0)

Johnson 5 6-7 18, Feemster 4 8-10 16, Blackford 5 0-0 13, Cranford 4 2-4 12, Dobbins 3 2-2 8. Totals: 21 18-23 67. 3-Pointers: Blackford 3, Cranford 2, Johnson 2. Total fouls: 17. Fouled out: None. Technicals: None.

CARSON (6-8, 0-1)

Jacquet 6 4-4 16, Brush 5 3-4 14, Houghton 4 2-2 10, Mandoki 3 1-2 7, Wilson 1 0-0 3, Leatham 1 1-2 3, Jeffers 1 1-2 3, Teeter 1 0-0 2, Weismann 1 0-0 2, Rutledge 0 1-2 1. Totals: 23 13-17 61. 3-Pointers: Brush 1, Wilson 1. Total fouls: 18 Fouled out: Brush. Technicals: Barnes.

CARSON 63, HUG 21

HUG 5 8 6 2--21

CARSON 15 21 18 9--63

HUG (2-8, 0-2)

Vo 3 0-0 8, Turner 2 0-0 2, Puloka 2 1-2 3, Fakava 1 0-3 2, Abasta 1 0-0 2, K. Jones 0 1-2 1, Ke-a 0 1-2 1. Totals: 9 3-9 21. 3-Pointers: Vo 2. Total fouls: 5. Fouled out: None. Technicals: None.

CARSON (5-9, 1-0)

Scott 8 0-0 16, Brekken 6 0-0 12, B urroughs 2 4-4 9, Evans 3 0-0 6, Dodge 2 1-3 5, Nunez 2 0-0 4, Rankl 2 0-0 4, Kilty 1 1-1 3, H. Works 1 0-0 2, Macquarie 1 0-0 2. Totals: 28 6-8 63. 3-Pointers: Burroughs 1. Total fouls: 8. Fouled out: None. Technicals: None.