upended the Lady Eagles from Hiwassee Dam High School by an 80-53 final score, clinching a berth in the Western Regionals in Winston-Salem next week.
Avery looked nervous in the early going as they missed a number of close shots and layups. The team eventually regrouped, punishing the Hiwassee 2-3 zone with a 14-2 run to close out the opening period to the tune of a 25-13 lead.
The staple press defense smothered the Lady Eagles consistently all evening long, forcing a large number of turnovers in the backcourt that Avery turned into quick offense. Hiwassee Dam's offense sputtered throughout much of the contest, but most notably in the second period, where the Lady Eagles missed their first 12 shots of the quarter and made only two Kareen Abling field goals in the eight minute stretch.
Avery's offense slowed down somewhat in the quarter as well, converting only five field goals in the stanza, but still managed a 16-point halftime lead at 39-23. Senior Kim Gragg paced Avery with ten first-half points. Katie Ellis was the stalwart defensively, pulling down nine rebounds and picking up four steals in the first half to go with five points.
As the third quarter ensued, the wear and tear of Avery's press and depth began to show on the Lady Eagles. Six points from Joy Jennings in the period, as well as an 8-0 scoring run midway through the quarter, pushed the Big Red advantage to 59-37 after three periods.
Avery's lead grew to as many as 24 points before a mini-run by Hiwassee Dam cut the lead to 19 at 69-50. The Lady Vikings closed out the contest in style, finishing the contest with an 11-3 run to close out the game and cruise to the first sectional championship in the history of Lady Vikings basketball.
Gragg and Katie Ellis both posted double-doubles on the evening. Gragg finished the contest with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Ellis finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Jennings tied Gragg for team-high scoring honors with 20 points, to go with six rebounds and six assists. Hayley Pyatte also reached double-figures with 12 points scored. Hiwassee Dam's Kareen Abling led all scorers with 26 points in a losing effort.
Avery's next game will take place at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem at either 7 p.m. or 8:30 pm on Wednesday evening. Contrary to some previous reports, Avery's next opponent will be determined on Monday morning as the sectional championship team representatives meet and seeds are re-drawn at a press conference at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem. The Avery Journal-Times plans to be on the scene Monday morning and will post the draw right here on the blog soon after the conference concludes.
Congratulations to the Avery Lady Vikings-- 2008 Sectional Champions!
