Hunting for their first region win of the season, the Carbon Dinos returned to their home court on Wednesday, Dec. 18 to face the Delta Rabbits. Following a competitive first half, Delta was able to blow the game open in the second, defeating the Dinos 63-43.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair between the two squads. With both defenses holding strong, offense was at a premium and mainly earned at the charity stripe. Senior Carter Warburton would be the spark that ignited the Dinos, scoring six of Carbon’s nine first quarter points. This hotly contested quarter came to a close 11-9 in favor of the Rabbits.

The second quarter saw Carbon matching their offensive output from the first, but Delta outperformed themselves, hanging 14 in the frame. This charge was led by junior Mason Robinson, whose sharpshooting helped to elevate Delta. The Rabbits would take a seven-point lead into the half, 25-18.

The lid would be lifted from the basket coming out of the break, as both teams scored in double figures in a quarter for the first time in the game. For Carbon it was Cannon Mortensen exploding offensively, hitting threes, and making his way to the free-throw line aiding in the Dino’s 15-point effort. But Delta’s offensive continued to roll, putting up 21 points and bolstering their lead to double-digits as they entered the fourth up 46-33.

The Rabbits would make a statement in the opening minutes of the final frame, forcing turnovers in the half-court and going on a quick 8-0 run. This helped them raise their lead to an insurmountable 20 points as Carbon fell 63-43.

Leading the Dinos in scoring was Cannon Mortensen with 15. Only three other Carbon players would find the bottom of the basket, with Warburton scoring 11, senior Evan Lancaster putting up 11 and junior Ty Mortensen ending with 6.

The Dinos (1-7, 0-2 Region 12) now hit the road to take on the Richfield Wildcats (7-3, 2-0 Region 12) on Friday, Dec. 20. Live play-by-play action will start at 6:30 p.m. with the Landon’s Diesel Service pregame show with tipoff to follow at 7 p.m. You can stream this game on KRPX 95.3 the Peak and YouTube at Castle Country Sports-Carbon.