Staff report

GRANITE QUARRY — The flu bug has bitten just about every local basketball team to some extent.

Carson’s boys basketball team has been hit particularly hard. Jonah Drye was out for Tuesday’s South Piedmont Conference loss at Robinson, while Carson had roughly half of Jacob Mills, who scored an under-the-weather 12 against the Bulldogs.

Drye was able to return Wednesday for an 88-53 win at East Rowan and made an impact with two 3-pointers and five assists.

Mills, a guard who averages 16 points, sat out the East game, but Drew Neve made sure East (2-15, 1-9) didn’t shock the world.

Neve, a 6-foot-5 freshman, had a career game with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Neve has scored in double figures in four of his last five outings. He didn’t start as briskly this season as Mills and CP Perry, but Carson’s dynamic freshman duo is now officially a trio.

Perry made two 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the first quarter as Carson took a 19-10 lead.

Neve took over in the second quarter, scoring 14, with 6-for-6 on free throws, as the Cougars went ahead 38-21.

Streaky Colin Ball heated up for three 3-pointers as Carson (11-6, 5-5) blew the game open with a 29-point third quarter.

Ball made five 3-pointers for the game and scored 22. Perry had 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals and sat down early. Chasen Hall had seven points and three steals. Tristen McBride had five rebounds.

:We’ve had some bad sickness, so I’m proud of the toughness our team has shown,” Carson coach Brian Perry said. “Guys have been out and guys have been playing when they didn’t feel great. So this was a solid road win. Hall, Ball and Jay McGruder played some great defense on East’s shooters.”

East got 10 points each from its main shooter Drake Jones and front-court player Jonathan Wembolua. Corbin Krider, who was called up from the jayvees with several Mustangs injured or sick, scored nine points, all in the third quarter.

“We played three freshmen and they played well,” East coach Andrew Porter said. “They handled the atmosphere of the game and stayed composed.”

Porter expects guard Ti’Jon Everhart to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Carson 19   19   29   21   — 88

East     10    11    20  12    — 53

CARSON — Neve 25, Ball 22, Perry 18, Hall 8, Drye 6, Hales 3, D. Williams, McBride 2.

EAST — Wembolua 10, Jones 10, Krider 9, Gibson 8, Lino 6, Klingler 3, Arnez 3, Chesney 2, Thomas 2.