Middle School Hoops Roundup

Both local middle schools were in action on the hardwood early last week, as well as immediately following the holiday weekend.

The Avery Middle School Lady Panthers traveled to Harris Middle School Monday, November 23^rd for a Toe River Conference game. Undefeated, Avery came in at 7-0 and held a two-game lead over Harris and East Yancey atop the Conference standings with three games remaining. A win over the Lady Blue Devils would clinch at least a tie for the regular season championship.

Harris relished in the role of spoiler as it held serve against the Lady Panthers through the first half of play, leading Avery 24-17 at the half. The Lady Devils enjoyed a height advantage inside which contributed to the halftime lead.

In the second half the Avery defense began to dominate as they have for much of the season, limiting Harris to only seven points for the quarter and a half following intermission while pulling to within two points.

Harris stretched the lead back to nine points with only two minutes left to play. The Lady Panthers put together a late charge to close to within three points with 38 seconds left. In need of a shot from behind the arc to tie the contest, Avery was unable to find the equalizer as three starters fouled out in the game’s final minute. Harris hit its free throws to clinch the win by the final score of 43-38.

Lauren Burleson led Avery with 17 points and Breanna Heaton added 14 points. The loss snapped a 16-game regular season win streak in conference play as Avery dropped to 7-1 on the season and saw its conference lead shrink to a single game.

“Our shooting was just a little off in the game, but Harris played really well. Had they played anyone in the conference that night, they would have beaten them,” Lady Panthers head coach Donnie Johnson said after the loss. “We trailed as many as nine and closed it to three before we had the foul outs. They capitalized on that, but overall I credit Harris more than anything for playing well.”

The Avery Middle School boys entered their game against Harris last week in first place, a game ahead of Cane River in the standings. The Panthers battled hard throughout the contest with the home-standing Devils in a very tight see-saw battle.

Chance Watson led Avery with 11 points but it was not enough as Harris held on to upend Avery with a shot at the buzzer to win by a final score of 36-34. With the loss, the Panthers dropped back into a tie for first place with Cane River.

This past Monday evening the Panthers looked to bounce back with a game against a strong East Yancey Panthers team. Both Avery clubs came away victorious on the evening, as the girls won by a 30-25 final score and the boys won 36-23.

In the girls contest Avery was forced to play a slowed down tempo that was dictated by East Yancey. Behind five points from Jodi Poore AMS took an 8-3 lead after one period.

The two teams continued to seek its offensive rhythm, but defense remained tough as Avery could only manage a 12-7 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter play remained physical, and the AMS Lady Panthers began to take control. Baskets from Lauren Burleson, Breanna Heaton, Jessie Ramsey, and helped build double the Avery lead to ten points at 21-11 to begin the fourth and final stanza.

Late in the final period the East Yancey girls made a game of it, cutting the lead to as little as two points at 27-25. Avery used a breakaway layup by Haley Woody to pad the Avery lead to two possessions and sank a final free throw to provide for the final margin.

The win by Avery clinched a third consecutive Toe River Conference regular season championship and the top seed in next week’s conference tournament.

“We struggle with wanting to settle down because we’re faster than most teams, and it can be hard for our girls to switch styles and get into the offense,” Avery coach Donnie Johnson remarked after the win. “All our girls do a great job defensively. I feel like we’re pretty deep and I’m happy with how we play as a team. It might have been a little sloppy at times, but it was a W and that’s all that matters.”

In boys action Avery took a 5-2 edge over East after one quarter and stretched its lead to 21-11 at the half. The Avery defense held East to only two points in the third quarter while stretching its lead to 30-13 after three periods and cruised to the 36-23 conference victory.Dalton Tennant and Chance Watson led the scoring charge for Avery with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Cranberry Middle School basketball squads were in action with a trio of contests in the past week. On Monday, November 23^rd the Wildcats welcomed the Cane River Rebels to town.

In ladies action, the squads battled in a nip-and-tuck affair. Cranberry led 8-6 after one quarter behind a pair of baskets from leading scorer Katie Rigdon and maintained the slim edge at 21-19 at intermission.

The two teams continued to play to a virtual standstill in the final two quarters. Both teams shot well from the field, but Cranberry refused to give up its lead, holding a 30-28 lead after three periods.

Cranberry scored the first two baskets in the opening two minutes of the final stanza to extend its lead to 34-28. The Lady Rebels scratched back, however, scoring on a layup in the final 15 seconds to cut the Lady Wildcat lead to 35-33. Cane River’s desperation shot from half-court fell short as the buzzer sounded, giving Cranberry the narrow two-point victory.

Katie Rigdon led the Lady Wildcats with 15 points, while teammate Bethany Burleson added nine in the win.

Cranberry’s boys then took the floor for a matchup with the visiting Rebels. The Wildcats played the contest without the services of head coach Jeremiah Norman, who was unable to attend due to illness. Assistant coach Kenny Gouge took the reins for the conference showdown.

Cane River opened the contest on a 16-2 run to take early control of the contest and lead 16-5 after one period. Tyler Pittman was able to tally seven points through the first half, but overall Cranberry continued to struggle from the field in the second stanza. The Wildcats scored only eight points combined in the second and third quarters against a tight Rebels defense as Cane River extended its edge to 24-9 at halftime and 33-13 after three periods. Cranberry outscored the Rebels 10-8 in the final six minutes of play, but Cane River won going away by a 41-23 final score.

Tyler Pittman led all Cranberry scorers with 13 points in the contest.

The next evening Cranberry traveled for a doubleheader with the West McDowell Titans in a non-conference tilt. In ladies action, the Lady Titans raced out to an early lead and did not look back, holding the Lady Wildcats offense in check in a 54-13 Cranberry defeat.

Rigdon again led Cranberry scorers with seven points, with four points from Sierra Jones. In the nightcap, the Wildcats boys squad played a tough Titans team. Chandler Austin was effective on offense for Cranberry to start the game as he scored all eight Wildcat points in the opening stanza. However, it was West that took an 11-8 lead after one quarter.

It was in the second quarter when the contest got away from Cranberry. An 18-4 West McDowell scoring margin in the frame extended the Titan lead to 29-12 at halftime.

Cranberry regained its offensive stroke coming out of the locker room for the third quarter, putting 17 points on the scoreboard in the six-minute period, but the Wildcats could not effectively shut down the Titan attack, as West led 44-29 after three periods and pulled away for a 54-31 triumph.

Austin led the Wildcats with 12 points in the contest, with eight points from Tyler Pittman.

Following the holiday weekend, the Lady Wildcats made its final road trip of the regular season, venturing back into conference play this past Monday to take on the Harris Blue Devils.

In the girls matchup, the Lady Devils and Lady Wildcats played a nip-and-tuck first half, as the squads went into the locker room tied at 17-17. In the second half of play, however, the home team Harris club improved its shooting, forced a number of turnovers, and asserted control, as Cranberry was unable to answer in a 38-24 loss.

Bethany Burleson led the way for the Lady Wildcats with ten points in the contest.

The second half of the twin bill saw the Cranberry and Harris boys square off. The Wildcats hung within striking distance of the Blue Devils, trailing by only ten at 24-14 at intermission.

In the second half Harris found its touch on the offensive end of the floor en route to defeating the Wildcats by a final score of 54-23. Tyler Pittman was the only Cranberry player in double-figures with ten points in the contest.

Avery and Cranberry renew their intracounty rivalry on Thursday night.