By Marny Hendrick

sports@salisburypost.com

CHINA GROVE — On paper, the Carson and Central Cabarrus girls teams are about as evenly matched as statistically possible: Identical records and almost exactly the same per game average in points and rebounds.

Friday night at Carson, however, the visiting Vikings were in control from start to finish, enroute to a 57-37 S0uth Piedmont Conference win. A big rebounding edge and the scoring ability of junior guard Mahaley Holit were more than the Cougars could handle, as they suffered through a miserable shooting night.

“In the first half, we missed just a ton of lay-ups and that takes something out of you,” Carson coach Brooke Misenheimer said. “We did a real good job of attacking and penetrating but we have got to get the ball in the hole.”

The Cougars ( 10-6, 6-4 SPC) fell behind, 12-5, right out of the gate, then suffered through a nine-minute stretch where they scored just one free throw and one field goal. By then, the Vikings (11-5, 7-3) had piled up a 35-15 lead behind Holit and 6-1 senior center Brooke Breedlove. Holit posted 21 points in the second half, including one stretch where she scored 12 points in a row.

“I am starting to finally put it together,” Holit said. “Our team is starting to come together at last, after a slow start to the season.” Holit’s 30 points against Carson came on the heels of a 34-point effort last week at East Rowan.

The Cougars did make a minor run midway in the final quarter to cut a 20-point deficit down to 49-35, but Holit fed Selma Van Dyke and Breedlove for lay-ups then iced the contest with four foul shots of her own.

“I give a lot of credit to these girls for the way they have improved this season, ” Viking Coach Brandon Blalock said. “We have had a lot of obstacles to endure.” In the first meeting between the two teams back in November, Carson rolled to their own 20-point win, but Blalock noted “…they caught us early when we were still trying to mold our identity with a lot of new players.”

Cougar guard Olivia Gabriel led the team with 11 points, followed by McKenzie Gadsen with 10 points and seven rebounds. Following Holit in the scoring, Breedlove posted 13 points and claimed 15 rebounds as the Vikings beat Carson, 33-21, on the boards.

Carson will try to bounce back at home next Tuesday against county rival east Rowan.

C. Cabarrus (57) — Holit 30, Breedlove 13, Wallace 6, Van Dyke 4, Myrick 2, Ratzloff 2, Benitez, Farris,.

Carson (37) — Gabriel 11, Gadson 10, Ketchie 7, Taylor 4, Shumaker 3, Street 2, Wiggins, Furr, Fesperman.

C. Cabarrus    12  12  15  18 — 57

Carson   7   5  9  16 — 37