By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó The free-throw line in Carson’s gym was not a nice place for Hickory Ridge to visit Monday night.
Carson cruised 66-49 mostly because the Ragin’ Bulls shot 36 percent (9-for-25) from the foul line, including several front ends of one-and-ones.
Give Carson’s fans some credit for that. No one, not even an under-the-weather Shaquille O’Neal, shoots 36 percent on foul shots.
“Not saying we’d have won if we shoot our free throws better, but obviously it becomes a much tighter game,” Hickory Ridge coach Robert Machado said. “Carson’s crowd really helped them ó that student section was pretty lively tonight.”
Carson senior Darius Moose was also lively, scoring all of his 22 points in the final three quarters.
Moose doesn’t miss foul shots. He was 10-for-11 on those unguarded 15 footers, including 7-for-8 in the fourth quarter. He helped the Cougars (3-0) put the game away and continue the best start in school history.
Nick Houston had another shooting spree, and it gave Carson control that it never lost.
Houston hit three 3s during a 15-2 run in the first quarter that turned a 4-0 deficit into a 17-6 lead.
“Early in the game, I just couldn’t find my shot,” Moose said. “But then Nick started hitting 3s. That opened it up for me.”
Houston had 18 points. Cody Clanton scored nine, and his night included a gem on which he blocked a shot, plucked the ball out of the air, flew coast-to-coast and finished.
Carson’s man-to-man defense, triggered by feisty, charge-taking guards Brandon Ferrare and Derrick Sewell, just about chased Hickory Ridge (0-2) out of the building in the first 10 minutes.
“Carson did a great job of getting over screens and just really got in our gut a little bit,” Machado said. “They drew three charges really early, and that got in our heads some.”
Carson led 35-21 at the break, but then the fouls started piling up. Moose, Sewell, Ferrare and guard Devon Heggins all had to back off some because of personals.
“First half, I thought we defended very well, but then we started getting some reaching fouls and lost our edge a little bit,” Carson coach Brian Perry said.
Slick passes to Moose by Zach Wagner and Houston fueled another run in the third quarter. The Cougars led 46-26 after Houston’s fourth 3.
But the Ragin’ Bulls finally started to make some shots in the lane and chopped the lead to 49-38 after three quarters.
Hickory Ridge fought within 56-48 with three minutes left when point guard Blake Wood, the top target of Carson fans, made a 3-pointer.
But then the Cougars turned things over to Moose, a Brevard signee, and the Bulls had no answer. Hickory Ridge post man Danny Book (12 points) had a tough time guarding the 6-foot-3 Moose on the perimeter and smaller Ragin’ Bulls couldn’t handle him in the post.
“Coach said the big man probably couldn’t move his feet well enough to guard me, so I’d start one way and then go the other,” Moose said. “When the smaller guys were on me, I just tried to be real aggressive going to the basket.”
Still, if Hickory Ridge had shot free throws reasonably well, it could have put heat on the foul-plagued Cougars. But the Bulls were 5-for-17 from the stripe in the second half.
“That gave us some cushion,” Perry said. “If they make them, it would have been a lot more interesting for sure.”
n
NOTES: Hickory Ridge played without shooting guard Quinton Wimbish, one of its top returning players. He had the flu. … Moose had 11 rebounds for his third straight double-double. … Wagner had three assists, Ferrare took three charges and Heggins pulled down three fourth-quarter rebounds. Clanton blocked two shots. … Carson goes to Hickory Ridge on Dec. 9.
Hickory Ridge (49) ó Book 12, Wood 10, Lamothe 9, Burton 6, Baucom 4, Dennis 4, Temple 2, Still 2, Worth,
CARSON (66) ó Moose 22, Houston 18, Clanton 9, Wagner 6, Heggins 5, Ferrare 4, Sewell 2, Raper.
H. Ridge 6 15 17 11 ó 49
Carson 17 18 14 17 ó 66