The era of change for Carbon High Sports continued on Wednesday, Nov. 20 as the Dinos traveled to Roosevelt to face the Union Cougars in their season opener. In a game defined by defense, it would be the Cougars coming out on top with a 58-49 win.
First Quarter
Union came out firing in the first, led by senior forward Andrus Jensen, whose hot nine-point first quarter helped the Cougars claim the advantage early. The Dinos, not wanting to fall behind, had five players score in the opening frame.
The difference maker between the two squads was free throws, with Carbon putting Union into a bonus situation midway through the quarter. The Cougars would capitalize on this, converting on five of six attempts from the charity stripe.
Second Quarter
Defense was the name of the game in the second frame with both teams forcing turnovers and applying pressure on the fast break. Union would again have a breakout scorer, with senior Brady Bell popped off for six points. Carbon would have a bucket-getter of their own as junior Kyler Orth would go blow-for-blow with the Cougars scoring six of his own.
junior forward Logan Bennett also played a key role for the Dinos, pouring in six more.
Both teams would battle neck-and-neck through the quarter, but Union would ultimately win the frame 18-17 and go into the halftime break with a 35-27 edge.
Third Quarter
Olsen would continue his hot streak into the third quarter, tacking on seven more to his total. Junior Carter Warburton made his mark on the court for Carbon, hitting a timely three and playing scrappy defense.
Union would win the penultimate quarter by a narrow margin 14-11, and head into the final frame of action with a daunting 49-38 lead.
Fourth Quarter
Looking to pull off a stunning comeback, the Dinos took an aggressive offensive approach featuring hard drives to the rim. They were rewarded for these efforts with several trips to the charity stripe.
Union on the other hand would still stay aggressive, but worked the clock down before attempting to shoot, limiting Carbon’s offensive chances. This strategy would pay off as both teams combined for only 20 points in the frame, giving the Cougars the 58-49 win.
Key Stats
-Union won the turnover battle forcing 14 and only committing 12.
-Kyler Orth finished with 16 points and went four of six from the free-throw line.
-Logan Bennett and Carter Warburton finished with 10 points apiece
-As a team, the Dinos shot 80% from the charity stripe, going eight for 10.
What’s next?
Following the loss, the Dinos will return to action on Friday, Nov. 22 as they hold their home opener against the South Summit Wildcats. That game will be streamed on KRPX 95.3 the Peak as well as on YouTube starting at 6:30 p.m. with the Landon’s Diesel Pregame Show and tipoff following at 7 p.m.