BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Carson Senator's guard Adam Houghton and Douglas Tiger's center Keith Olson collide while fighting for a loose ball that Houghton stipped during the first half of their game in Minden on Friday.
MINDEN - The Carson and Douglas boys basketball teams faced off in a rematch Friday and once again there was tremendous energy and a raucous crowd which rushed the floor and mobbed the winner.
Only this time there was a different victor in the Sierra League matchup and Douglas took a convincing 53-37 win at Douglas High School.
Douglas' 6-foot-9 center Keith Olson scored a game-high 18 points - including 12 in the first half - and proved nearly impossible to stop on the boards. Nathan Whalin had eight points and Kevin Emm added seven in helping the Tigers to improve to 4-4 in league and 9-12 overall.
Carson senior guard Adam Houghton led the Senators with 16 points, while Zach Weismann contributed six and Kevin Brush added five as Carson dipped to 3-5 in league, 9-13 overall.
In a humid gym which contained a standing-room-only crowd, the Senators held their own for the better part of two quarters. Freshman Matt Rutledge drew Carson even with the Tigers at 21-21, with 1 minute, 50 seconds remaining in the first half - a half in which the Senators led three times - but Douglas forward Kevin Emm put the Tigers up with his long jumper with 59 seconds left.
Emm and Jordan Hadlock combined for four more points and Douglas led 27-21 going in the locker room.
A Jeff Nady layup concluded Douglas' 16-1 run and the Tigers went up 37-22.
Carson got into foul trouble, had several turnovers and missed several shots as the game slipped away.
"It was fun. It was a great atmosphere," said Douglas coach Rob Streeter. "We shot better from the free-throw line down in crunch time. And this time we got the stops. Joe and Jeff (Nady) and David Laird pounded it inside. I'm happy with the big guys keeping the ball high. We expect to control the boards. At times we rely too much on our height and don't get position. They did a great job on the boards. I'm happy with our offensive boards."
Although each team committed 19 fouls, the Tigers went 13-of-23 from the charity strip (including 10-of-16 in the fourth quarter), while the Senators went 6-of-22.
"We didn't make our free throws. It's pretty simple," Carson coach Bruce Barnes said of why his team lost. "We didn't convert at the free-throw line - that's the equivalent of a turnover (each time). It's about making shots you need to make. You have got to make free throws to win games. And without defensive rebounding you're not going to win."
Next up for the Senators is a rematch at Hug with the first-place Hawks, whom Carson played tough at home in its season opener before losing 67-61.
"They're all big (games remaining)," Barnes said. "They're all league games. We're on the road again. We have to bounce back. Defensive rebounds, making easy shots, converting free throws...We just didn't do it."
Carson-Hug begins at 5 p.m.