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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — When the Carson Senators girls basketball team finally decided to play some defense, it took over the game.
After allowing South Tahoe to shoot 66 percent from the floor and score 30 first-half points, the Senators’ defense allowed just 18 second-half points and rolled to a 65-48 victory in a Sierra League matchup on Friday in South Lake Tahoe.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak and gave Carson a 4-4 record in league play and 10-12 mark overall, while the Vikings saw a two-game division winning streak come to an end (2-6, 4-11).
“We needed to break that four-game skid,” Carson coach Todd Ackerman. “It was nice. They’re happy. It’s been way too long since we won a game.
“We went to a 1-3-1 zone (in the second half) and they played into our hands. We wanted to trap them in the corner. That was big. We even played a little 3-2 so we could stay on their shooters.”
It was certainly effective. South Tahoe shot 12 of 18 in the first half, but went 8 for 34 in the final 16 minutes.
It was still a 42-40 game midway through the third quarter after back-to-back baskets by the Vikings’ Terra Backinger.
Gina Bianchi, who finished with 17 points, drained a 3-pointer to start a quarter-ending 9-0 run. Brandi Vega, who led Carson with 20 points, knocked down two free throws to extend the lead to 47-40. Krista Mattice and Bre Anderson completed the surge with a bucket each to make it 51-40 after three quarters.
South Tahoe’s offense continued to sputter, and Carson opened the fourth quarter with five straight points to increase its lead to 56-40 with 5:39 remaining. The Vikings never got closer than 14 points the rest of the game.
“Carson did a great job,” South Tahoe coach Chris Holmes said. “We’re best when we’re in transition. We stopped moving offensively early in the second half.”
The first half, however, was a different story.
South Tahoe did a solid job in transition, while Carson did a poor job contesting shots. Alexis Holmes scored 12 of her game-high 22 in the first half.
“They shot it well,” Ackerman said. “We gave up some easy baskets. We didn’t turn around and run back.”
The first 16 minutes featured six ties and nine lead changes. Carson shot 46 percent from the field, mainly on the strength of seven three-point field goals, which was enough for a 36-30 halftime lead.
The game was tied at 22 with 5:22 left, but baskets by Backinger and Holmes gave the Vikings a 26-22 lead with 4:26 remaining.
Bianchi hit one of her four first-half 3-pointers to trim the lead to 26-25, but South Tahoe’s Eunice Romero retaliated for a 28-25 lead with 3:09 left.
The Vikings drew a blank the rest of the half, going 0-for-3 from the floor and turning the ball over three times.
Carson reeled off 11 straight points for a 36-28 lead.
Alexis Nunes-Fenley scored on a putback with 3.0 left to make it 36-30 at the half.
South Tahoe outscored Carson 10-6 in the first half of the third quarter before Carson began to swing the game with its defensive pressure.
Backinger finished with nine points, while Nunes-Fenley scored eight.
South Tahoe plays host to Wooster on Tuesday night at 5:15 p.m.
After allowing South Tahoe to shoot 66 percent from the floor and score 30 first-half points, the Senators’ defense allowed just 18 second-half points and rolled to a 65-48 victory in a Sierra League matchup on Friday in South Lake Tahoe.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak and gave Carson a 4-4 record in league play and 10-12 mark overall, while the Vikings saw a two-game division winning streak come to an end (2-6, 4-11).
“We needed to break that four-game skid,” Carson coach Todd Ackerman. “It was nice. They’re happy. It’s been way too long since we won a game.
“We went to a 1-3-1 zone (in the second half) and they played into our hands. We wanted to trap them in the corner. That was big. We even played a little 3-2 so we could stay on their shooters.”
It was certainly effective. South Tahoe shot 12 of 18 in the first half, but went 8 for 34 in the final 16 minutes.
It was still a 42-40 game midway through the third quarter after back-to-back baskets by the Vikings’ Terra Backinger.
Gina Bianchi, who finished with 17 points, drained a 3-pointer to start a quarter-ending 9-0 run. Brandi Vega, who led Carson with 20 points, knocked down two free throws to extend the lead to 47-40. Krista Mattice and Bre Anderson completed the surge with a bucket each to make it 51-40 after three quarters.
South Tahoe’s offense continued to sputter, and Carson opened the fourth quarter with five straight points to increase its lead to 56-40 with 5:39 remaining. The Vikings never got closer than 14 points the rest of the game.
“Carson did a great job,” South Tahoe coach Chris Holmes said. “We’re best when we’re in transition. We stopped moving offensively early in the second half.”
The first half, however, was a different story.
South Tahoe did a solid job in transition, while Carson did a poor job contesting shots. Alexis Holmes scored 12 of her game-high 22 in the first half.
“They shot it well,” Ackerman said. “We gave up some easy baskets. We didn’t turn around and run back.”
The first 16 minutes featured six ties and nine lead changes. Carson shot 46 percent from the field, mainly on the strength of seven three-point field goals, which was enough for a 36-30 halftime lead.
The game was tied at 22 with 5:22 left, but baskets by Backinger and Holmes gave the Vikings a 26-22 lead with 4:26 remaining.
Bianchi hit one of her four first-half 3-pointers to trim the lead to 26-25, but South Tahoe’s Eunice Romero retaliated for a 28-25 lead with 3:09 left.
The Vikings drew a blank the rest of the half, going 0-for-3 from the floor and turning the ball over three times.
Carson reeled off 11 straight points for a 36-28 lead.
Alexis Nunes-Fenley scored on a putback with 3.0 left to make it 36-30 at the half.
South Tahoe outscored Carson 10-6 in the first half of the third quarter before Carson began to swing the game with its defensive pressure.
Backinger finished with nine points, while Nunes-Fenley scored eight.
South Tahoe plays host to Wooster on Tuesday night at 5:15 p.m.
