Staff report

CHINA GROVE — Mars Hill football signee Tristen McBride wasn’t allowed to sack anyone, so instead he made a 3-pointer to celebrate Senior Night.

McBride and his Carson teammates did just about anything they wanted to do on Tuesday in a 93-61 South Piedmont Conference romp against East Rowan.

“Tristen had been waiting for a long time to let it go,” said pleased coach Brian Perry said. “It was a good Senior Night.”

While Carson’s freshmen have generated most of the excitement surrounding a program on the rise, seniors had their moments against the Mustangs. McBride scored a career-best seven points. Jay McGruder made two 3-pointers and scored a season-best 15. Chasen Hall, who scored 1,000 points at Rockwell Christian before transferring to Carson for his senior year, had his biggest game as a Cougar with 13 points and five rebounds. Senior DJ Williams scored four. Senior Nick Williams had four rebounds.

The freshmen didn’t take the whole night off. CP Perry made four 3-pointers and totaled 18 points, eight rebounds and five steals. Drew Neve had nine points and nine rebounds. Jacob Mills made two 3-pointers and scored 12.

Junior Jonah Drye made three 3-pointers and dished out 10 assists. Colin Ball, a junior, scored six for the Cougars (14-8, 8-7).

The 93 points was the third-highest total in Carson history. The Cougars put up 94 and 98 in back-to-back games in the 2017-18 season with future college players Jamarius Hairston, Cole Perry and Jailen Williams, as well as MLB draft pick Owen White in the lineup.

East stayed in it for a quarter and was down only 17-14, but Carson outscored the Mustangs 21-6 in the second quarter and put 31 points on the board in the third.

East got 18 points from Jonathan Wembolua and a season-high 11 from Corbin Krider, but couldn’t match Carson’s firepower.

Carson was able to limit Drake Jones, who averages about 15, to six points.

East (3-19, 2-13) beat South Rowan twice. The other win for the Mustangs was against Gray Stone.

East plays at Concord on Friday, while Carson finishes the regular season at South Rowan.

East          14    6     21    20   — 61

Carson    17     20    31   25   — 93

EAST — Wemboloua 18, Krider 11, Butler 8, Lino 6, Jones 6, Thomas 5, Gibson 5, Chesney 2.

CARSON — Perry 18, McGruder 15, Hall 13, Mills 12, Neve 9, Drye 9, McBride 7, Ball 6, D. Williams 4.