By Mike London

Salisbury Post

KANNAPOLIS — The searches for the Loch Ness Monster, the Abominable Snowman and Carson’s first girls basketball victory continue.

Carson may have its best chance to break through this season when it takes on a one-win Mooresville team on Wednesday.

Carson didn’t have a serious chance to get its first victory on Monday night at Northwest Cabarrus, but it made things interesting until the middle of the fourth quarter in a 59-41 loss to the Trojans.

Carson (0-13, 0-5) topped the 40-point plateau for the fourth time, and the Trojans (8-7, 2-3) were the fourth team Carson has held below 60 points.

“It was real sloppy at times,” Northwest coach Daryl Crego said. “Our effort was always there, but we made a lot of miscues. I feared we might have a letdown against a young, first-year team.”

Northwest got points from 11 players, including 17 from Sara Kiser and 10 from Callie Simpkins.

Mackenzie White was Carson’s scoring leader or co-leader for the 12th time. She had 19 points. Charlena Lynn contributed nine points and double-digit rebounds.

“We need Mack and Charlie to play well every night, and Charlie was just a monster on the boards,” Carson coach Brooke Misenheimer said. “Some of the others are coming along. This was Courtney Cress’ best game by far.”

Kiser hit three of Northwest’s five 3-pointers as the Trojans fashioned a 33-20 halftime lead.

“They’ve got some shooters,” Misenheimer said. “But we still had our chances in the second half.”

Carson crept within 39-30 when Lynn powered in a putback with two minutes left in the third quarter, but the Trojans answered with a tough layup by Liana Erickson and a clutch 3-pointer by Simpkins to regain control.

“We live by the 3s,” Crego said. “I yell at the girls to shoot instead of yelling at them not to shoot because the 3s open things up inside for Liana, and she’s been playing with a lot of confidence.”

Carson kept the point differential in the 13-15 range most of the fourth quarter before the Trojans tacked on some late foul shots.

“We just had critical turnovers at critical times,” Misenheimer said. “That caused us to come out on the short end again, but it was another good learning experience.”

Crego, who brings his team to West Rowan on Wednesday, was impressed by White and had positive things to say about all the Cougars.

“It takes a while to build something,” he said. “But that coach is doing a good job with them.”

CARSON (41) — White 19, Lynn 9, Cress 6, Curtindale 4, Marshall 3, Whitley, Bell, Hough.

NW CABARRUS (59) — Kiser 17, C. Simpkins 10, Erickson 8, Bowen 8, Hahn 4, McCain 3, E. Simpkins 2, Hogue 2, McLean 2, Hauck 2, Brinkley 1.

Carson 8 12 14 7 — 41

NWC 19 14 13 13 — 59

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com.