Staff report

MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan’s girls basketball team came into Friday’s home game ranked 14th in 3A.

Carson’s girls were ranked 15th.

On paper, it was a great matchup for first place in the 3A North Piedmont Conference.

In reality, it was Carson’s juniors and seniors against West’s freshmen.

Experience matters. Carson roughed up the youthful Falcons 71-46.

West (3-1, 2-1) scored 21 in a frenzied fourth quarter. It was a lopsided 57-25 after three quarters.

There are going to be some nights like this for West this season, but not too many.

“They’re young, but they’re really talented,” Carson head coach Brooke Stouder said. “They’re impressive athletically. They’re pretty good already, and they’re going to be really good.”

Two seasons from now, West might beat Carson by 70, but that’s a bridge the Cougars will cross when they get there. Carson only has one underclassman in its girls basketball program— the freshman manager.

Carson (5-0, 4-0), which is extremely underrated at 15th, got the knockout start that Stouder was looking for.

Colbie Perry came out raining 3s. She made three from long range in the first quarter and was on her way to a big night.

Carson’s lead after that devastating first quarter? It was 24-5.

“We caused some turnovers with our pressure and Mary Spry and Carleigh Perry ran the floor hard,” Stouder said. “For three quarters, we played well.”

The fourth quarter was not as smooth for Carson.

“We got sloppy against their press and we didn’t do a good job of staying engaged,” Stouder said. “We’re still looking for that game when we play four good quarters. I’m confident it will come. This was our fifth game, and ordinarily we’d just be gearing up now for the Christmas tournament.”

This isn’t an ordinary season. It’s “masketball.”

If Carson doesn’t have an undefeated regular season, it’s going to be a shock. After that, well, they’ve got a chance to get it done in the playoffs, and they’re aren’t many years you can say that.

Colbie Perry, a senior, would’ve cruised to 1,000 career points in a normal season, but there won’t be nearly as many games in this one. Perry scored 18 Friday on 7-for-12 shooting and that will help her cause. She has 938 now.

“The key is not to think about it, to just go out and play hard,” Stouder said. “Colbie wasn’t worried about it tonight. She had one of her best games.”

Mary Spry, who has been a big addition to the Cougars in the paint, shot 7-for-9 for 17 points and added nine rebounds and three steals. Carleigh Perry had 11 rebounds. Kary Hales had four steals. Hannah Isley went to the rim hard and scored 12 points. She also had three steals.

West’s top three scorers were freshmen. De’Mya Phifer scored 14, Lauren Arnold had 11, and Emma Clarke scored 10.

CARSON (71) — Co. Perry 18, Spry 17, H. Isley 12, Ca. Perry 8, Wilhelm 5, Vaughn 5, White 4, Corley 2, L. Isley, Hales, Storey, Barbee, Barger.

WEST (46) — Phifer 14, Arnold 11, Clarke 10, Tenor 7, Edwards 2, Cuthbertson 2, Durham, Mason, Wheeler, Simpson.

Carson            24    14   10   14   — 71

W. Rowan        5     10    10  21   — 46