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Carthage wears out Nevada
By Jason Peake
Herald-Tribune
NEVADA -- Carthage's constant full-court pressure defense eventually took its toll on the Nevada High School girls basketball team.
With a short bench due to foul problems, Nevada simply didn't have enough firepower to keep up in a 56-38 loss to Carthage on Friday night at Wynn Gymnasium.
Carthage's trapping defense forced 19 Nevada turnovers, many of which led directly to layups.
"It's a strong defensive pressure," Nevada Coach Brent Bartlett said. "And when we have three girls on the bench in foul trouble it's going to wear us out. We can't get in foul trouble. We need to stay fresh against a team like that. Their defense is too strong and they have too good of players."
Nevada junior post player Tori Dahmer was once again plagued by fouls.
"We have to have Tori on the court," Bartlett said. "Everything runs through her and it really hurts us offensively when she's not in the game."
With the loss, Nevada falls to 8-8 on the season. It was the team's seven-straight loss.
After the game, Coach Bartlett said he was pleased with his team's effort against a solid opponent.
"I'm proud of our girls," he said. "We competed hard. They had too much strength on us. I love coaching this team. The girls have good attitudes. I told them they just need to stay positive."
Carthage improves to 11-5 on the season with the victory.
Nevada got off to a solid start to the game, taking a 10-2 lead right out of the gates, with Dahmer and Morgan McNeley scoring four points apiece early.
But Carthage used a 12-0 run in the second quarter to pull ahead.
Nevada had eight turnovers in the second period. Carthage won the second quarter 17-4 and the visitors led 26-18 at intermission.
Carthage used a 9-0 run in the third quarter to blow the game open at 35-20.
Nevada's Mikayla Bartlett and Bailey Harbit hit back-to-back three-pointers late in the third. Harbit then hit a short jumper and Bartlett made one of two free throws, but Carthage still led 36-29 entering the fourth quarter.
Dahmer fouled out at the 5:49 mark of the fourth quarter.
The turnovers began to add up for the host Tigers, and Carthage used a 13-0 spurt to take a 20-point lead at 49-29.
Carthage's big lead held up in the fourth.
Carthage's one-two punch of Kaylee Morgan and Chloe Shepherd accounted for 41 points on the night.
Morgan, a senior point guard often turned steals into layups, while Shepherd, a junior, did most of her damage inside.
Mikayla Bartlett scored 11 to lead Nevada. Harbit and McNeley scored nine apiece. Dahmer had four points and four rebounds before fouling out.
Nevada's girls will host the Lady Tiger Classic next week (see accompanying story at right for more on the Lady Tiger Classic).
Carthage girls 56, Nevada 38
CA 9 17 10 20 -- 56
NE 14 4 11 9 -- 38
Nevada: Mikayla Bartlett 11, Morgan McNeley 9, Tori Dahmer 4, Bailey Harbit 9, Ashley Shumaker 2, Kelsey McCall 1, MacKenzie Pritchett 0, Rilie Good 0, Michaela Brewer 0. Totals 10 (2) 12-22 38. Three-pointers: Bartlett, Harbit. Fouls 22. Rebounds 21 (Shumaker 7). Turnovers 19.
Carthage: Chloe Shepherd 20, Kaylee Morgan 21, Quincy Charleston 2, Vanessa Pawlak 3, Sierra Barrett 2, Emily Goeken 5, Hannah Blount 3. Totals 18 (2) 14-28 56. Three-pointers: Morgan 2. Fouls 19. Turnovers 18.