Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal
Carson High's girls basketball team will have little time to savor Tuesday night's easy 62-34 win over South Tahoe.
That's because the Senators have a Friday night engagement against archrival Douglas in Minden. Coach Todd Ackerman tried to downplay it, but he knows better. He's been on both sides of the rivalry, having assisted Douglas coach Werner Christen.
"It's a big game, but we have to play it like any another game," Ackerman said. "It's hard, but that's what we have to do.
"It depends on what team shows up for him. It will be interesting."
Douglas barely lost to Manogue at Manogue last weekend, but was beaten soundly by the same South Tahoe team that was demolished by Carson. Rivalry games tend to be physical in nature, and you wouldn't expect anything different on Friday.
Carson was very physical against South Tahoe, and the Vikings were unable to match the intensity without fouling. Carson went 11-for-17 at the line compared to 5-for-6 for South Tahoe.
"There was nothing we could do," South Tahoe coach Chris Holmes said. "We came out flat and Carson came out very physical. There was probably 21 fouls in the first quarter. We backed down too much."
The Senators tried to get physical with the Vikings' Alexis Holmes, who led all scorers with 17, but managed just 2-for-9 from the field and two free throws in the first half when Carson managed to grab a 15-point halftime lead thanks to two small surges. Holmes is the key to the Vikings' offense. If she is having an off night, there hasn't been too many others who have been able to can pick up the slack for her this season.
"We tried to take the ball out of her hands," Ackerman said. "We tried to stay in front of her. You give her some room, she's going to shoot and she gets it away quick. We also did a good job of collapsing in the middle."
The first run came at the tail end of the first quarter and the first 2 minutes, 17 seconds of the second period when Carson turned a 13-8 game into a 22-8 game with a 9-0 run.
Whitney Nash, who led Carson with 12 points, started the surge with a 3-pointer to end the first quarter. After a South Tahoe turnover to start the second period, Nash scored on a layup. Each team came up empty on their next possessions, but another Viking turnover led to a Natalie Stevens bucket from the top of the key and the 22-9 lead.
South Tahoe trimmed the lead to 26-17, but another 3-pointer by Nash, a drive to the basket by Gina Bianchi and a free throw by Tiana McAllister-Daggs, who scored six points and pulled down 13 rebounds made it 32-17 at the half.
Both of McAllister-Daggs' baskets came on putbacks, which is what Ackerman expects from her.
"She did a good job," Ackerman said. "That's what we need her to do is rebound. She can jump and do some things good things, defense and scoring. When we get offense from her it's gravy."
A 3-pointer by Nash and a bucket by Elayna Shine jacked the Senators' lead to 37-17 inside the first minute of the second half. The closest South Tahoe got in the second half was 17 points midway through the third quarter. Twice Carson upped the lead to 30 points in the fourth quarter.
Bianchi and Stevens finished with 10 points apiece. Terra Backinger aided South Tahoe's offense with 11 points.