CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage shook off a slow start and took control of the game with a strong start to the second quarter on the way to a 60-44 win over McDonald County on Thursday.
The Tigers (3-2) trailed by one possession heading into the second quarter before building a five-point cushion three minutes into the period. Carthage pushed the lead to seven by the intermission, 29-23, and pulled away from the Mustangs down the stretch in the second half.
“It was fun out there,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “That’s what I told the guys in there. Basketball doesn’t have to be frustrating. We had moments in the (Carthage Invitational) where we were butting heads with each other. We fixed some things over the weekend. It was good to see that (performance). … It shows when our guys want to play together and for each other.”
The Tigers found rhythm from the perimeter in the win, as Carthage knocked down nine 3-pointers as a team. Justin Ray sank four 3-pointers on the way to 14 points, while Max Templeman made a pair of triples on the way to a team-high 15 points.
“If we are playing fast and moving the basketball, it’s good to take those shots,” Morris said. “Justin Ray stepped in for his second start and got us going. … (Max) unlocked something Tuesday at Central when he went for 25. He looks like the Max we expected. … I think he just struggled with the tempo of varsity basketball during the tournament. I think he is just finding his feet.”
Of course, for any perimeter offense to work, you need a complimentary piece inside to provide balance. That is exactly what Patrick Carlton accomplished with his 14 points, which gave Carthage three scorers in double figures.
“He is huge for us,” Morris said. “Last year, Pat had some big games but that was teams taking away Alex Martini. He is the guy right now. It was as important as any game this year for him to go at a 6-9 kid and a 6-6 kid and execute. If we can do that, it really, really helps us.”
GAME NOTES
Carthage trailed 15-13 heading into the second period when the Tigers used a 7-0 run out of the break to build a 20-15 advantage at the 4:45 mark. Ray opened the quarter with a 3-ball before Carlton added an inside score. Templeman followed with two free throws.
“I think we moved the ball a little better to start the second quarter,” Morris said. “I think we just missed a couple early. … We finally saw it go in and started flowing. … When the ball is moving and they see a couple go in, it becomes infectious.”
McDonald County cut the lead to 22-21 with 3:35 left in the first half on a 3-pointer from Pierce Harmon, who tied for the team high in scoring with nine, but Carthage used an inside score from Carlton, a 3-pointer from Sam Feurt and a Templeman score in close with four seconds left to go up 29-23 into the intermission.
The Tigers held that pace to start the second half until they closed out the third quarter on a 9-0 to stretch the lead to 50-34 with one quarter to play. The final-momentum swing started on a Templeman 3-pointer with less than three minutes to play and ended on a Carlton score inside at the buzzer to put Carthage in front for good.
“That was huge,” Morris said. “We let one get away (in the fourth quarter against West Plains). … It was nice to see our guys go and finish a basketball game.”
UP NEXT
Carthage is on the road for a matchup with Mount Vernon on Friday.
