RENO — The task was so monumental that even the slightest mistake would prevent the Carson girls basketball team from taking down the regional favorite on the road.
Carson couldn’t overcome jitters at game time as it saw Reno convert three-straight turnovers to open the game and cruise past the Senators, 67-25, in the opening round of the Northern Division I tournament at Reno High School.
“You never know with our team. We’re really young and we came out a little afraid,” Carson coach Nate Tolbert said. “You can’t come out afraid against Reno. They capitalized on every mistake. We started playing for pride.”
Gina Peacock led the team with five points, including a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, before she left the game after collapsing on the baseline near Reno’s team bench. Tolbert wasn’t sure what happened as paramedics continued to attend to Peacock, who went through a similar medical issue during volleyball season. Peacock also was out for a few weeks because of tonsil surgery before making her return to the court on Tuesday.
Michelle Perry, Maddi Preston and Carly Bachmann each scored four points, while Abbey Greene, Haley Ridgely and Cameron Sievers each added two.
Carson, which saw a similar result two months ago, didn’t score its first field goal until the two-minute mark in the first quarter. But by that time, Reno had already built a 24-1 lead as Carson’s Ivy Pembrook converted two points inside. Peacock’s putback with 11 seconds left ended a poor start to the game as Reno led 26-5.
The second quarter didn’t get any better for Carson.
Reno outscored the visitors by the same margin as the first after opening with two-straight buckets to increase the lead to 31-5. The Huskies scored 21 of the half’s final 26 points to take a commanding 52-10 lead at halftime, which allowed a running clock in the second half.
The McGwires’ height advantage frustrated Carson in the first half as they combined for 27 points.
Mallory McGwire (6-foot-4) led the Huskies with 18 points, including 16 in the first half, while Morgan McGwire (6-1) added nine. Savannah Schulze buried three 3-pointers to finish with 11 points, all in the first half, Daranda Hinkey scored 10 points and Morgan Bugica came off the bench with seven, including five in the fourth quarter.
The Senators responded better in the second half against Reno’s second string, outscoring the Huskies by two in the third quarter before posting seven points in the final frame, including a last-second basket to end the game on a high note.
“They fought. They didn’t quit,” Tolbert said. “It shows a lot of character. They’re not going to quit.”
Thomas Ranson can be reached at lvnsports@yahoo.com