| Jamal Lewis drives to the basket during the Dinos first home game of the preseason last Tuesday night. Lewis lead Carbon in scoring with 12 points as well as pulling down several big rebounds for the Dino squad. |
The Carbon High boys basketball team played their first home game of the preseason this last Tuesday night. The Dinos hosted the Tooele Badgers in what became a highly competitive match up.
The game started out with both teams struggling to gain control of the scoreboard. The competition was intense as the teams stayed deadlocked through the opening quarter of play.
Entering the second quarter, Carbon found themselves ahead by only one point, 15-16. As soon as the second quarter kicked off, the Dinos stepped up and outscored the Badgers, 19-9 leading to Carbon’s 35-24 lead at the half.
After both teams regrouped, the third quarter started out with Badger’s comeback rally. Although strong, it wasn’t strong enough for the Dinos who maintained the upper hand right up to the final buzzer.
By the time the smoke had cleared, the Dinos had defeated the Badgers, 63-53. This is the first preseason victory for the Dinos this year.
Carbon’s current record stands at 1-1 and the team will move on to compete this weekend in the Ben Lomand tourney.
During the successful home game, Dino senior Jamal Lewis lead the team in scoring with 12 points. Aside from his shooting effort, Lewis also made several big plays for the Dinos under the basket as he pulled down several rebounds.
The preseason victory was a total team effort however. Carbon had three players score 10 points against the Badgers. These players include Bryan Stewart who sank two, three-point shots, Neal Maynes who completed one, three-point field goal, and Joe Moynier.
The Dinos struggled in their opening preseason game against Uintah last week. The team shot only 5-14 from the free throw line and according to head coach Ted Bianco, the team also struggled to sink many shots from the field as well.
“I think that they really stepped up and played well against Tooele. The shooting definitely improved, but I think that we still need to work a bit on our offensive game. The defense is strong however. They’re quick and get their hands on the ball quite easily,” explained Bianco.
The strengths which the Dinos display include excellent ball handling skills and the ability to run the floor very quickly. But the biggest strength the Dinos possess is their total team effort.
“I can’t point out a single player that carried this team to the win. I think that it was a perfect display of team effort. All eight of the players who competed against the Badgers really worked well together and got the job done. I’m most proud of the way they play as a team,” concluded Bianco.
After an impressive victory at home, Bianco looks forward to the tourney where he feels the team will gain valuable experience. The event will also prepare the team for regular season competition while allowing them to perfect their overall game.
The Dinos will return to their home court Dec. 11 as they host the Wasatch Wasps at 7 p.m.