The Avery Lady Vikings junior varsity won a pair of tournament contests to finish a third straight conference season undefeated and win its fifth straight Western Highlands Conference tournament title.After a first-round bye, Avery squared off with Polk County. Avery solved the Polk triangle defense to win by the final score of 49-27. Avery led 14-6 after one period, but Polk rallied to trail Avery by only three points at 24-21 at halftime.
Avery guard Mercedes Bentley got untracked in the third quarter as teammates set screens to help her get open shots. Bentley scored eight of her ten points for the contest. The Lady Viking defense clamped down on Polk, allowing only six points for the entire second half as Avery led 39-25 at quarter’s end and went on to the win.
Sophomore forward Mary Chesnut Smith had a balanced game to lead all Avery scorers with 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals in the win. Mercedes Bentley added ten points, Lacey Barrier started for Savannah Dellinger who was out due to illness and tallied nine points and four assists. Emily Pritchard added six, with points each from Logan and Shayna, and two points from Monica Estep to round out the Lady Vikings offensive attack.On Friday Avery hosted the Madison Patriots in the JV championship game, winning by a 55-33 final score. Avery led 19-9 after one quarter and 24-11 at intermission. A 17-point third quarter explosion gave the Big Red a 20-point lead and put the game out of reach as the Lady Vikings celebrated their fifth WHC tournament championship in a row and third straight undefeated conference season.
Three Avery players scored double-figures, led by Mercedes Bentley’s 15 points and five assists. Lacey Barrier tallied ten points and seven assists. Shayna Vance scored ten, while Logan Johnson added eight points, five rebounds, three steals, and three assists.
“We told the girls to go out and attack Madison much as they did against Polk and they did that. They set screens well and they shot the ball without showing any nerves. The way we shot the ball in the first quarter, we looked like a varsity team out there,” victorious head coach Pat Daniels said following the championship game. “We finished the game well. I think we learned early this year that if we play good defense we don’t have to make a lot of shots or even shoot a lot. The girls understood that if we boxed out, played good defense, rebound, and hit foul shots, it makes it an easier game.”
The secret to the team’s success has been in the details, and Coach Daniels was quick to credit varsity head coach Missy Lyons and the work she has done in preparing and equipping the girls
basketball program.
“Much of the credit goes to Missy,” Coach Daniels said. “Her summer program gets the girls in shape and she has a lot to do with how well both girls teams have performed. We run the girls a lot before the season starts and instill a defensive pride in the girls, and that plays a big role.”
Congratulations to the Lady Vikings JV team on another phenomenal season!
