By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

CHINA GROVE — No one saw it coming, but Carson set a school record on Thursday in a wild 89-81 victory against visiting Davie County.
That was the most points the Cougars have ever scored in a victory.
The school record for points in a game remains the 91 that Carson scored in a 94-91 double-overtime loss to North Forsyth in the 2014 state playoffs.
Malon Herron, a junior guard whose previous career-high was 12 points, poured in 20 to lead five Cougars in double figures. Springy forward Brenden Westbrook (17 points) and hard-driving guard Armoni Hogue (15) matched their career highs. Jamarius Hairston chipped in with 13, and sophomore Owen White added 11 in his first varsity start.
“I got hot,” Herron said with a smile. “So I kept shooting.”
The Cougars shot 51 free throws and made 33. Davie went 19-for-28 from the foul line. That was a big advantage for Carson, and Davie obviously got into some foul trouble.
Carson also made 11 3-point field goals, including four in a dead-eye spree that bridged the third and fourth quarters and proved decisive.
The teams battled on even terms in an entertaining first half that ended 37-all.
“Everybody was shooting well,” Carson coach Brian Perry said. “We talked at halftime about getting a fast start in the second half, but then Davie flipped that plan on us.”
Davie pushed ahead by seven in the opening minutes of the second half, but Carson charged back.
“As young and inexperienced as we are, we did a great job not to panic,” Perry said. “We stayed mentally strong.”
It was a 56-all game late in the third quarter and Davie had just gotten monster jams from 6-foot-1 Cooper Wall and 6-4 L.P. Mua. That was the moment of truth.
“I thought we were getting ready to take the momentum after those dunks,” Davie coach Mike Absher said. “But then Carson just pulled away from us. It all happened very quickly.”
Carson youngsters Jailen Williams and Cameron Prugh answered the back-to-back Davie dunks with calm 3-pointers, and then Herron drilled a really long one. Suddenly, Carson was up by seven points at the end of the third quarter. That lead swelled to 13 early in the fourth when Hairston had a three-point play and Herron hit yet another 3-pointer.
“In that stretch, we had a ton of stick-back opportunities, but we didn’t finish,” Absher said. “And Carson wasn’t missing.”
The lead reached 78-61 with six minutes left before Davie began to battle back.
Carson started using some clock and got some key defensive stops and defensive boards.
“We were talking, communicating out on the floor,” Herron said.
Davie did cut its deficit to single digits late, but the Cougars made enough free throws to win.
“We didn’t finish smoothly,” Perry said. “But we held them off.”
Floor leader Nic Starnes scored 19 for the War Eagles. Mua had a career-best 16. Freshman Michael Walton scored 13.

Carson 89, Davie 81
DAVIE (81) — Starnes 18, Mua 16, Walton 13, Slabach 11, Wall 9, McDaniel 9, Gonnella 2, Hampton 2, Heiner 1, Shoffner, Shepherd.
CARSON (89) — Herron 20, Westbrook 17, Hogue 15, Hairston 13, White 11, Prugh 8, Williams 5, Collins, Whicker.

Davie 20 17 21 23 — 81
Carson 21 16 28 24 — 89