Tonight at 7 pm the Avery Lady Vikings (18-10) host the Highland Tech Lady Rams (6-19) in a sectional semifinal. Avery advanced with an impressive 82-40 win over Elkin, while the Lady Rams defeated Rosman 70-69 in Gastonia Tuesday night.
Scouting the Lady Rams:
Highland Tech is coached by Phillip All and is a member of the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference. It was the #2 seed behind Cherryville from its conference to qualify for the state tournament. The team was defeated in the first round of its conference tournament by a 58-53 score to the East Lincoln Mustangs prior to its first round state tourney home win over Rosman.
Highland Tech began its season with 11 consecutive losses before earning a 46-33 win over First Assembly of Concord in its final game in the Cherryville BB&T Holiday Tournament. Ironically the Lady Vikings also competed in the Cherryville tourney, but the two teams did not face one another.
On the court the club runs a variety of defenses, a 2-3 zone, man-t0-man, and will also employ a trap out of its 2-3 zone defense as well as utilize pressure using a 2-1-2 full court press. Generally during the season the team has looked to establish an inside presence before working its way to the perimeter game, but the squad does not mind shooting behind the arc with players capable of making the trifecta.
Highland Tech, like Avery, is a team that can go several players deep into the bench and receive contributions, while the squad's head coach does not mind using creativity in his game plan to keep an opponent off balance.
The Lady Rams are anchored in the post by Bry'anne Robbins. The 5'8" junior forward averages 8.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per contest. She also averages 2.5 steals a game and almost a block and a half per contest. She is an active player in the post who rebounds extremely well, but can also put the ball in the hoop. She recorded a double-double in her team's tourney game with East Lincoln scoring 11 points with 17 rebounds. She has recorded eight double-figure rebound games this season.
Also anchoring the Lady Rams is Leah Graham, a 5'9" sophomore who is the team's leading scorer at 9.5 ppg and 5.3 rebounds per contest, as well as Courtney Clanton, a 5'5" senior guard averaging 8.8 ppg, 2.5 steals, and 2 rebounds per game.
Additional contributors for Highland Tech include Hayley Beaty, a 5'7" senior guard/forward averaging over five points, a team-high six rebounds, and two steals per contest, and Mikalia Butler, a 5'5" freshman guard averaging 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and almost two steals a game. Butler leads the team in free throw percentage at 55%.
As a team, Highland Tech averages shooting around 28% from the field, and is only a 46% free throw shooting team.
Records/Common Opponents:
The teams share a total of three schools, Rosman, Cherryville, and Hampton (TN) as common opponents. Both teams faced Hampton and Rosman at the Cherryville Tournament, while Highland Tech played Cherryville twice in conference play opposed to Avery's lone game with the Lady Ironmen coming in the Holiday Tournament.
Avery won its matchup with Rosman by four points at the time, while Rosman defeated Highland Tech 51-35 in Cherryville before losing the Lady Rams Tuesday in their rematch. Both Avery and Highland Tech had similar outcomes in games with Hampton, as Avery lost by a final score of 61-49 while Highland Tech fell to the Lady Bulldogs by a 51-37 final score.
Highland Tech was swept by Cherryville in the regular season's two matchups, losing by an average of 9.5 points, while Avery defeated Cherryville 75-41 in the only meeting between the teams. The Lady Vikings would be wise not to underestimate the Lady Rams by solely looking at its record. Since the turning of the calendar to 2009, the team is only 6-8, proving that the team has been more competitive as the season has progressed.
The Low Down:
The Lady Vikings would be wise not to underestimate the Lady Rams by solely looking at its record. Since the turning of the calendar to 2009, the team is only 6-8, proving that the team has been more competitive as the season has progressed.
An early key in tonight's game will be how Avery's guards handle whatever full court pressure the Lady Rams throw at them in the game's opening minutes. Highland Tech is slightly bigger than Avery's first opponent Elkin, and will definitely prove more athletic than the Lady Elks.
In the Elkin contest Avery experienced a scoring drought of nearly half the second quarter, and has at times been prone to committing fouls of over-aggression. Despite those factors appearing Tuesday night, Avery still won by 42 points on what some may consider an 'off-night'!
The Lady Vikings must consistently score tonight and continue to pressure the Highland Tech ball handlers to generate turnovers. Avery senior center Katie Ellis scored 12 points on Tuesday, but made only two baskets. Free throw shooting was also an issue for the Lady Vikings on Tuesday, hitting on only 54% of their attempts (20 for 37).
Four players scored in double-figures in Highland Tech's win over Rosman, paced by Leah Graham's 23 points on 8 of 16 shooting with six rebounds and four assists, along with a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds from Hayley Beaty, 12 points from Courtney Clanton, and 11 points and five rebounds by Bry'anne Roberts. Mikalia Butler added six points and five assists in the win.
Highland Tech improved on its free throw shooting, hitting 20 of 29 shots from the charity stripe, and committed only 14 turnovers in its upset of the Rosman Lady Tigers.
In Avery's first round win, Samantha Shook scored 17 points with three assists, with 13 points from Sara Wiseman, 12 points and 18 rebounds from Katie Ellis, and 10 points and six assists from Allison Vance.
Scouting the Lady Rams:
Highland Tech is coached by Phillip All and is a member of the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference. It was the #2 seed behind Cherryville from its conference to qualify for the state tournament. The team was defeated in the first round of its conference tournament by a 58-53 score to the East Lincoln Mustangs prior to its first round state tourney home win over Rosman.
Highland Tech began its season with 11 consecutive losses before earning a 46-33 win over First Assembly of Concord in its final game in the Cherryville BB&T Holiday Tournament. Ironically the Lady Vikings also competed in the Cherryville tourney, but the two teams did not face one another.
On the court the club runs a variety of defenses, a 2-3 zone, man-t0-man, and will also employ a trap out of its 2-3 zone defense as well as utilize pressure using a 2-1-2 full court press. Generally during the season the team has looked to establish an inside presence before working its way to the perimeter game, but the squad does not mind shooting behind the arc with players capable of making the trifecta.
Highland Tech, like Avery, is a team that can go several players deep into the bench and receive contributions, while the squad's head coach does not mind using creativity in his game plan to keep an opponent off balance.
The Lady Rams are anchored in the post by Bry'anne Robbins. The 5'8" junior forward averages 8.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per contest. She also averages 2.5 steals a game and almost a block and a half per contest. She is an active player in the post who rebounds extremely well, but can also put the ball in the hoop. She recorded a double-double in her team's tourney game with East Lincoln scoring 11 points with 17 rebounds. She has recorded eight double-figure rebound games this season.
Also anchoring the Lady Rams is Leah Graham, a 5'9" sophomore who is the team's leading scorer at 9.5 ppg and 5.3 rebounds per contest, as well as Courtney Clanton, a 5'5" senior guard averaging 8.8 ppg, 2.5 steals, and 2 rebounds per game.
Additional contributors for Highland Tech include Hayley Beaty, a 5'7" senior guard/forward averaging over five points, a team-high six rebounds, and two steals per contest, and Mikalia Butler, a 5'5" freshman guard averaging 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and almost two steals a game. Butler leads the team in free throw percentage at 55%.
As a team, Highland Tech averages shooting around 28% from the field, and is only a 46% free throw shooting team.
Records/Common Opponents:
The teams share a total of three schools, Rosman, Cherryville, and Hampton (TN) as common opponents. Both teams faced Hampton and Rosman at the Cherryville Tournament, while Highland Tech played Cherryville twice in conference play opposed to Avery's lone game with the Lady Ironmen coming in the Holiday Tournament.
Avery won its matchup with Rosman by four points at the time, while Rosman defeated Highland Tech 51-35 in Cherryville before losing the Lady Rams Tuesday in their rematch. Both Avery and Highland Tech had similar outcomes in games with Hampton, as Avery lost by a final score of 61-49 while Highland Tech fell to the Lady Bulldogs by a 51-37 final score.
Highland Tech was swept by Cherryville in the regular season's two matchups, losing by an average of 9.5 points, while Avery defeated Cherryville 75-41 in the only meeting between the teams. The Lady Vikings would be wise not to underestimate the Lady Rams by solely looking at its record. Since the turning of the calendar to 2009, the team is only 6-8, proving that the team has been more competitive as the season has progressed.
The Low Down:
The Lady Vikings would be wise not to underestimate the Lady Rams by solely looking at its record. Since the turning of the calendar to 2009, the team is only 6-8, proving that the team has been more competitive as the season has progressed.
An early key in tonight's game will be how Avery's guards handle whatever full court pressure the Lady Rams throw at them in the game's opening minutes. Highland Tech is slightly bigger than Avery's first opponent Elkin, and will definitely prove more athletic than the Lady Elks.
In the Elkin contest Avery experienced a scoring drought of nearly half the second quarter, and has at times been prone to committing fouls of over-aggression. Despite those factors appearing Tuesday night, Avery still won by 42 points on what some may consider an 'off-night'!
The Lady Vikings must consistently score tonight and continue to pressure the Highland Tech ball handlers to generate turnovers. Avery senior center Katie Ellis scored 12 points on Tuesday, but made only two baskets. Free throw shooting was also an issue for the Lady Vikings on Tuesday, hitting on only 54% of their attempts (20 for 37).
Four players scored in double-figures in Highland Tech's win over Rosman, paced by Leah Graham's 23 points on 8 of 16 shooting with six rebounds and four assists, along with a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds from Hayley Beaty, 12 points from Courtney Clanton, and 11 points and five rebounds by Bry'anne Roberts. Mikalia Butler added six points and five assists in the win.
Highland Tech improved on its free throw shooting, hitting 20 of 29 shots from the charity stripe, and committed only 14 turnovers in its upset of the Rosman Lady Tigers.
In Avery's first round win, Samantha Shook scored 17 points with three assists, with 13 points from Sara Wiseman, 12 points and 18 rebounds from Katie Ellis, and 10 points and six assists from Allison Vance.
