The Carson Senators girls basketball team opened Sierra League play against perennial powerhouse Reno on Tuesday and although the score wasn't necessarily indicative of the fact, the Senators continued to grow on the court.
The up-tempo, trapping Huskies improved to 10-1 on the season with a 79-35 victory over the 0-9 Senators at Morse Burley gym.
Reno was fast out of the gate on offense and defense and pressured the Senators throughout the game. Morgan Rovetti scored a team-high 18 points and 6-foot-4 Abby Boorman added 16 as nine Huskies got on the scoreboard for the Huskies.
Junior Tiffany O'Day led the Senators with eight points and Christy Works chipped in seven as first-year Carson coach Todd Ackerman elected to play up-tempo as well instead of trying to slow the game and keep the score down with a stall.
"For us - still learning - (the stall) wouldn't be beneficial for us," Ackerman said. "We have to learn to play. We have to learn to take control of the ball, to get possession and get some shots. We had too many turnovers. We did shoot the ball a little better today. It's a slow process with us being so young."
Works, a 5-foot-7 senior who is returning to the varsity team this year after serving as team manager last year, led the Senators by example, exhibiting hustle and some hard-nosed play on both sides of the ball from her point guard position.
"Christy comes and plays every day," Ackerman said. "She plays hard even if the first shot doesn't go. She works her tail off every day."
Works' 10-foot bank shot got Carson to within 5-3 with 5 minutes, 41 seconds remaining in the first quarter, but Reno would go on a 14-2 run to take a 19-7 lead.
The Huskies led 24-14 after one and 43-23 at the half before breaking loose with a 21-7 third quarter.
But there wasn't a Carson player to be found that was hanging her head.
"They still battle and work hard - that's all I can ask," Ackerman said. "We're getting better. We're trying to do a few new things, trying to get us more confident offensively. It was the first time someone threw a halfcourt (trap) on us. It's another thing for us to work on."
Carson will get three days off to work on things before Christmas. The Senators will next play Dec. 27 in Las Vegas during a five-game, three-day tournament.
"We'll get after it again," Ackerman said. "We're doing some good things. The scoreboard doesn't (reflect it), but we are doing things better. We just have to get that first win."