By Bret Strelow

Salisbury Post

CHINA GROVE — Dylan Kosinski’s hot shooting injected Carson’s boys basketball team with a boost of energy, but two critical turnovers sucked it out.

Greg Biles’ steal and layup with 1:24 remaining erased a one-point deficit and lifted South Stanly to a 70-68 win against the Cougars on Tuesday night.

Carson, which benefitted from Kosinski’s three 3-pointers in the final five minutes, committed another turnover while facing a 65-64 deficit. Five of Jordan Curlee’s 36 points came at the line in the final 37 seconds, and his final two free throws with 10 seconds left gave him 70 points in two games and provided the Bulls with a four-point lead.

Carson had a shot to tie the game during the previous possession, but Mike Hutchinson’s left-handed runner rolled off the rim.

“We didn’t show a whole lot of energy all night,” Carson coach Brian Perry said. “I think we got excited when Dylan hit several 3s right there in a row. I thought that kind of energized the team, but we can’t wait for somebody to come out there and start stroking 3-pointers for us to get excited and play hard. It’s got to be nightly.”

The last of five second-half 3-pointers from Kosinski, who tied Brandon Ferguson for the team lead with 21 points, gave Carson (0-2) a 64-61 lead with 2:46 remaining. South Stanly (2-0) scored on a layup 27 seconds later, and the Cougars chewed up 48 seconds before taking a timeout.

Biles poked the ball away at midcourt seven seconds after play resumed, and his layup put the Bulls ahead for good.

“You want to get the ball to the rim,” Perry said. “If you can’t get the ball to the rim, you don’t have a shot.”

Foul trouble prevented Kosinski from scoring in a season-opening loss to South Rowan, but he went 5-for-7 from 3-point range in the second half of Tuesday’s game.

Carson led 49-45 entering the fourth quarter, but South Stanly went on an 8-0 run. Kosinski pulled the Cougars within 57-56 with a 3-pointer, then hit another 24 seconds later to even the score at 59-all.

An elbow jumper by Clint Fontenot gave Carson a brief lead, and Kosinski broke a 61-all tie with another 3-pointer.

“When I hit those shots, I guess everybody got riled up,” Kosinski said. “I just thought I needed to step up and play my game. I tried to get the team up and running.”

South Stanly (70) — Curlee 36, Smith 10, Biles 7, Shankle 6, Holt 5, Sellers 4, Clayton 2, Almond, Allen.

carson (68) — Kosinski 21, Ferguson 21, Hutchinson 13, Freeze 8, Fontenot 3, Craft 2, Adams, Johnson, Smalls, Yates.

S. Stanly 13 21 11 25 — 70

Carson 12 17 20 19 — 68

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Contact Bret Strelow at 704-797-4258 or bstrelow@salisburypost.com.