(GIRLS) All North Van Matchup has Carson Graham Top Argyle
Carson v. Argyle
December 11, Round 3
An all North Van matchup, with two teams completing the drive up to the base of Grouse Mountain to compete in their final game of the 2021 No Regrets Basketball Tournament. There may not be a lot on the line in terms of this tournament, but these are a couple teams that are gearing up for a regular season where they will be facing each other a handful of times.
Carson has a clear height advantage with two of their post players sitting around the 6 foot+ mark; time would tell if that advantage would be the difference maker in this matchup. Where Carson has size, Argyle has speed - and they were looking to take advantage of that with a full court press. The Eagles’ presence around the bucket defensively made things difficult for the Pipers - the Pipers were going to have to find their range from deep to keep themselves within reach this afternoon. Carson was able to execute on offense with smart decision-making, and find themselves with a significant lead to end the first quarter.
End of First Quarter Score: Carson 20: Argyle 3
Argyle has been swarming Carson on the perimeter, trying to make those entry passes into their post players more difficult. This showed signs of success and a tactic that they continued to test out. The lead was extended at times in the second quarter, but the Pipers showed the effort and passion that Coach Beyrouti hoped for; they had been working hard and making the Eagles earn their points. Carson maintained the pressure, but the Pipers elevated their game to evenly match Carson in the second quarter - with each team scoring 15 points in the 10 minutes of play.
Halftime Score: Carson 35: Argyle 18
Halftime Fact: Handsworth’s gym is 61 years old.
Bonus Halftime Fact: One of Carson’s coaches, Cam Nelson, is a longtime sponsor of the No Regrets Tournament and part of the tournament Organizing Committee - thanks Cam!
Controversy ensues - as the ball drifts into Coach Beyrouti’s hands, he took an extra moment to assess the size of the ball and quickly realized he was holding on to a “boys” ball, which is slightly larger and heavier than a “girls” ball. We can safely assume this was just for a few minutes to start the second half, but you definitely do not see that everyday folks! Just when you thought the controversy was settled, a travel call was made on Carson’s #12, Day, and the fans in the nosebleeds loudly expressed their disagreement with the call. Both teams battled all quarter long, with the physicality becoming more evident the longer this game went on. The Eagles found that defensive form that was present in the first quarter, and held the Pipers to 6 points in the third Q.
End of Third Quarter Score: Carson 47: Argyle 24
#19 for the Eagles, La Rusic, has been a consistent presence in the post all game long. She has been one of the main pillars on this Carson squad that has been contributing both offensively and defensively throughout the entire game. Argyle’s #4, Adrian, was all over the court in the fourth - she was padding her stats with 3 consecutive offensive rebounds and layup attempts, followed by 2 free attempts, a steal and a made 3 all within about 20 seconds! Adrian was not done there, as she knocked down 2 more three balls to bring her team to within 8 with under 5 minutes to play. Carson called a timeout as they saw their lead drop into single digits for the first time since… a long time. The Eagles felt some of that pressure, and came back firing and executing to finish off the game.
In the end, the Pipers could not come back from the big hole they put themselves in during the first quarter. The size of the Eagles inside was just too much today for the Pipers. Congratulations to both of these teams on a great 2021 No Regrets tourney - all the best as you head into your regular seasons!
Final Score: Carson 54: Argyle 42