Mars guard Anthony Vargo goes up for a shot during the Planets' 91-58 boys basketball win over Shaler Tuesday night.

ADAMS TWP — After losing nearly 20 points and 20 rebounds per game with the graduation of center Michael Carmody, the Mars boys basketball team changed its style of play.

The pace the Planets now play with has overwhelmed several opponents this season, Shaler being the latest victim.

Four Planets scored in double figures, including Mihali Sfanos and Zach Schlegel, who both dropped 23, as Mars coasted to a 91-58 win at home over the Titans Tuesday night.

It's the fourth game this season in which the Planets (6-1, 5-1) have scored at least 79 points. They did so in just two of 26 games last year.

“Michael was the battleship in the middle for us,” said Mars coach Rob Carmody. “He was the nation's leading rebounder and we would have been crazy not to build the offense around him.”

Rob Carmody knew, however, that his son's departure opened the door for a different brand of basketball. Much of the responsibility has fallen to junior point guard Zach Schlegel.

“He missed a lot of the development that would have taken place this past offseason with things being shut down,” Carmody said of Schlegel, “but he's played in two WPIAL championship games, starting last year.

“It's a taxing process and every point guard goes through it. But he's done a great job this season.”

Schlegel averaged 9.5 points per game as a sophomore.

“I knew with Michael gone, I needed to pick up my point production,” said Schlegel, who is averaging 14.1 points this season. “I still feel like I need to score more for the team.”

But Schlegel has also helped the team cut down on its mistakes. The Planets turned the ball over 12 times against Shaler, a modest amount considering the team's fast-paced strategy.

“We've improved in that area, but we need to keep improving because turnovers are a big part of the game,” Schlegel said.

“If we don't turn the ball over ... we shoot a high percentage as a team and share the ball well,” Rob Carmody said.

Mars may not be as dominant on the boards this year, but the team is holding its own. Junior forward Chris Dvorak led the Planets' effort on the glass with nine boards against Shaler.

“Chris and Nate (Roush) have done a great job with rebounds,” said Rob Carmody, “but it's more of a group job this season.”

As far as the scoring goes, many players are capable of hitting a big shot and, as evidenced in Mars' latest game, can regularly score in double figures.

Mars drained 11 treys, including five from Mihali Sfanos. His younger brother, Tasso, added 12 points.

“Nate Roush comes off the bench and scores 10 points for us tonight,” added Schlegel. “We have a bunch of players stepping up and are playing with a ton of confidence right now.”

SHALER 58Dylan Schlagel 5 0-0 10, Joey DeSabato 2 0-0 5, Kaden Orga 0 1-2 1, Joey Miller 1 1-2 4, TJ Belles 3 1-2 10, Logan Bernesser 9 1-1 19, Sam Himrod 1 0-0 3, Brandon London 3 0-0 6. Totals: 24 4-7 58.

MARS 91Austin Cote 2 0-0 4, Zach Schlegel 8 4-4 23, Anthony Vargo 1 0-0 2, Chris Dvorak 3 0-0 6, Tasso Sfanos 5 0-0 12, Bryce Cunningham 1 2-2 5, Mihali Sfanos 9 0-0 23, Pete Gonzalez 1 0-4 2, Nate Roush 3 4-5 10, Pete Craska 1 0-0 2, Jonah Kozora 1 0-0 2, Quinn Navetta 0 0-0 0. Totals: 35 10-15 91.Shaler 12 13 20 13 — 58Mars27 17 24 23 — 913-point goals: Shaler 6 (Belles 3, Himrod, Miller, DeSabato); Mars 11 (M. Sfanos 5, Schlegel 3, T. Sfanos 2, Cunningham).Tuesday: North Hills at Mars