Vikings Split Varsity Rematches with Panthers

Prior to the holiday break, the Avery Vikings hosted the Patton Panthers in a rematch of contests played just one week earlier in Morganton. In Friday’s varsity contests, the Viking women pulled away for a 73-45 rout, while the Avery boys were unable to hang close with the Panther men in a 69-45 loss.

The Avery varsity girls snapped a two-game losing skid with a convincing 27-point win over Patton. In the opening period the Lady Vikings outscored the Lady Panthers 14-9 behind four points each from Katelynn Eudy and Allison Vance. Avery played the contest without the services of senior forward Katie Ellis, who was still experiencing effects from her collision with Vance in Wednesday’s loss at Watauga.

Avery’s transition game got rolling in the second quarter against the 2-3 zone defense of Patton. Lauren Avery was a spark in her second start at guard for the Vikings, as she scored nine points in the second quarter and 11 overall for the half. Vance also reached double figures scoring in the first two periods as she scored six points, including a three-point bucket, in the quarter for ten points by intermission.

Usual reserve standouts Sara Wiseman and Megan Tennant stepped up big in the absence of Ellis, as they combined for 15 points in the game. Tennant tallied all eight of her points in the first half to push the Big Red ahead 42-24 at halftime.

Avery’s defense stifled the Lady Panthers all evening, with 18 steals as a team and forcing close to 30 Patton turnovers for the contest. The Vikings doubled up the Panthers in the third quarter scoring 18 to 9, paced by five points in the quarter by Wiseman as part of a seven-point, four block performance. Avery led 60-33 going into the final period and closed out the final eight minutes to pick up the 28-point win.

Katelynn Eudy led the Vikings with 17 points on 8 for 10 shooting from the field. She also registered five rebounds and three steals in the game. Lauren Avery had a great all-around effort for the Big Red, as she scored 15 points, with seven assists, six rebounds, and four steals. Vance finished the win with 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Elyse Perry scored eight off the bench in the Avery win. Avery moved its record back over the .500 mark at 4-3 overall.

The Avery varsity boys started strong in Friday’s contest with Patton, but were unable to overcome a first quarter run by the Panthers in a 69-45 loss.

Avery led by an early 8-4 margin, but a 16-6 run by Patton, paced by ten points from guard Nick Holland, closed out the first quarter put the Vikings in a double-digit deficit at 20-10 after eight minutes of play.
In the second period, the Vikings settled down and managed to outscore Patton 12-11, but Avery could not put together an offensive run against the aggressive Patton man-to-man defense as the Panthers led 31-22 at halftime.

Patton controlled the contest for good as the third period ensued. Patton shot 7 of 8 from the free throw line as part of a 22-point effort in the quarter, while the Avery pair of Joey Potter and Colton Blackburn provided but all but two of the Big Red’s 11 points in the quarter. The discrepancy left the Vikings trailing by a 53-33 score with only eight minutes remaining. The Panthers defense held Avery to only 12 points in the final quarter en route to a season sweep.

Patton’s defense constantly double-teamed Avery leading scorer Dustin Clarke all evening, as they held the sharpshooter to only four points in the game, all coming on two field goals in the first half.

Avery’s scoring attack was led by the duo of Potter and Blackburn, who scored 11 each. Blackburn added nine rebounds and three blocks, while Potter added five rebounds. Kody Hughes chipped in with nine points and six rebounds.

Five players scored double figures for Patton, led by Marius Harshaw’s 13 points off the bench.
Avery’s varsity girls and boys squads competed in the BB&T Holiday Classic at Cherryville High School the weekend following Christmas. A full report on the tournament will be found in next week’s paper and here on the Blog.