Saturday Recap

The Cloudland Highlanders moved on with a 74-48 victory over Washburn. The 'Landers will play Tuesday night against Jellico who pulled away in the fourth quarter with a 66-51 victory over Unaka. Also in Region 1, Hampton escaped with a nine point victory over Hancock County while University High came away with an impressive 61-53 victory at Cosby.

Friday Basketball Recap

The Avery Lady Vikings saw their season come to a close 64-46 against the Robinsville Lady Black Knights in the Sectional Final. We will have more information on this contest later on.

The Cloudland Lady 'Landers cruised past the Washburn Pirates 59-20 to advance to the next round against Cosby. More on this contest will also be posted later on.

AJ-T SPORTS BLOG AUDIO RECAP

Click the post title above for an audio recap of Thursday's Sectional Semifinal and information on Friday's Sectional Final against the Robbinsville Lady Knights.

Sectional Final Preview: Robbinsville at Avery

It's showdown time in River City, as two of the top teams in the Western Region square off tonight at Viking Gym in the sixth-ranked Robbinsville Lady Knights (24-2) and the Avery Lady Vikings (19-10). Both clubs advanced to the regional tournament one year ago, and only one will make the trip to Greensboro in 2009.

Robbinsville advanced to the sectional final by way of a 77-35 victory over Highlands, while Avery defeated the Highland Tech Lady Rams 87-36.

Scouting the Lady Knights:
Robbinsville is coached by third-year head coach Warren Knott and features a roster of players with a wealth of playoff experience. Robbinsville features only two seniors, but 5'6" senior starting guard/forward Eden Brown is a defensive stalwart for the club.

The Lady Knights are anchored by a strong junior class which includes a solid ball handler in 5'8" junior point guard Kristi Burchfield. Youth is also served on the club, as two of its leading scorers are underclassmen. Sophomore 5'2" point guard Tacey Trammell has averaged over 15 points per contest, while 5'9" freshman guard Alison Beasley leads the club in scoring at around 18 points per contest.

Much like the Lady Vikings, Robbinsville favors a high-paced game that races up and down the floor, while employing a variety of defenses to slow down its opponent. Robbinsville is a fast team that has size in the interior. As well, the Knights can rely on its depth to contribute on the floor coming off the bench.

A recent trend of the Lady Knights has been their preference to get out to quick starts of games. The Lady Knights began its conference championship game with a 13-4 scoring run, and began its opening round contest of the state playoffs with a 13-1 flurry.

Common Opponents/Trends:
Two opponents were shared by the Lady Vikings and Lady Knights during the season. Both teams played the Rosman Tigers. Avery faced and defeated Rosman by four at the Holiday Tournament in Cherryville, while Robbinsville played Rosman three times during the season, defeating them on all three occasions.

Robbinsville played Polk County early in the season and won by 15 points, while Avery took two of three contests from the Lady Wolverines.

The Low Down:
Tonight's showdown has the makings of a nail-biter rivaling the Avery/Mitchell conference championship of one short week ago. Avery has been dominant in averaging over 84 points per game in the playoffs, but started slowly against Highland Tech. Robbinsville played a well-rounded game against Highlands and led by 30 points at the half en route to the win.

Despite the high-scoring potential of both teams, look for tonight's game to be more of a defensive battle as both teams take great pride in shutting down respective opponents. In Robbinsville's most recent loss at Hiwassee Dam, the Lady Knights were hampered by 11 fouls, a pair of technical fouls, and a first-quarter scoring draught that saw them trail early and never recover. JV officials were partially blamed for the loss, but the 37 points scored by Hiwassee Dam's Jenna Harris didn't help the Lady Knights' cause, either.

Robbinsville will look to shoot from the perimeter early and often in tonight's game, and the tandem of Beasley and Trammel will look to get on track quickly. Avery must keep the pressure on the Lady Knights shooters and prevent them from getting into any semblance of a comfort zone.

For the Lady Vikings to be victorious, they need to continue to do the things that have brought them this far. They need to take care of the basketball, continue to rebound with tenacity, and the frontcourt must stay out of foul trouble, primarily the duo of Ellis and Eudy. The Big Red have received contributions across the board from the roster through its first two playoff games, and that must continue. When the bench has not been a factor, the Lady Vikings have had difficulties with opponents.

Both teams are expeienced on the stage they are about to step onto, which should mean a treat for the fans who pack Viking Gym to watch two talented and terrific teams square off tonight.

Lady Vikings Advance to Sectional Final with 87-36 Battering of Lady Rams

Eight Lady Vikings scored seven or more points as Avery overcame a slow start to rout the Highland Tech Lady Rams 87-36 in the second round of the NCHSAA girls 1A basketball playoffs.

Both the Lady Rams, coming off a narrow one-point win over Rosman, and the Lady Vikings, who won its first round game by 42 points, were tight and appeared shaky in the first quarter of play. Turnovers were the story through the first eight minutes as neither team could keep firm control of the basketball.

Highland Tech forward Bry'anne Robbins scored six points and pulled down five boards in the opening eight minutes, while Avery countered with the play of senior F/C Katie Ellis, who tallied five points to help the Lady Vikings to a narrow 12-11 lead after one period.

As the second period began, however, the complexion of the game changed as Robbins was whistled for a second foul. Lady Rams head coach Phillip All sat his leading rebounder for the remainder of the half, and the Lady Vikings took control of the glass and, inevitably, the game as well.

Avery outscored the Lady Rams 28-10 in the second quarter with its run-and-gun offense and smothering defensive pressure. Highland Tech looked to stop the momentum with multiple timeouts in the quarter, but the strategy was to no avail as the Lady Viking starting five, as well as a number of reserves continued to dominate the floor.

Senior point guard Allison Vance used her speed and ball-handling to penetrate to the hoop, drawing multiple fouls and earning her way to the free throw line. Vance was a perfect 5 for 5 from the line and led the Big Red with nine points for the half.

Avery was 10 for 15 for the half from the charity stripe, while the inside duo of Ellis and Katelynn Eudy combined for 15 points through two quarters and guard Lauren Avery scored six in the second quarter, pacing the Lady Vikings to a commanding 40-21 halftime lead. Highland Tech senior Courtney Clanton looked to keep her team in the contest with four in the second stanza and five points for the half.

The Lady Vikings grabbed 26 first-half rebounds, a number of them on the offensive end to generate multiple shot opportunities, while the Lady Rams suffered greatly with the presence of Robbins, hauling in only 13 boards for the opening two quarters.

Avery's defense was also paramount, forcing 20 first-half Highland Tech turnovers, then held the Lady Rams to only 15 second-half points. Avery outscored the Lady Rams 18-8 in the third period as head coach Missy Lyons used her deep bench to rotate players and keep a number of them rested in anticipation of Friday's next round.

Samantha Shook tallied six points for the Big Red in the third period, equalled by backcourt teammate Vance, who finished the game with 15 points and five rebounds. Avery led 58-29 after three quarters of action.

Avery's reserves placed a final exclamation mark on the contest, contributing heavily to a 29-7 point differential in the closing eight minutes of play. Eudy, the starter who spent the most time on the floor in the final quarter, tallied ten of her game-high 18 points in the last stanza, with six points apiece from freshman Megan Tennant and sophomore Mercedes Bentley. Elyse Perry added a team-high seven assists in the game, six in the second half, to seal the convincing 51-point win.

The Lady Vikings will be back in action Friday night as they host Robbinsville, who cruised to a 77-35 victory over Highlands on Thursday night. The Lady Knights of the Smoky Mountain Conference are 24-2 on the season and were ranked #6 in the latest NCPreps.com high school basketball poll. The Knights were ranked as high as third earlier this month.

Tip time for Friday's sectional final contest is 7 p.m.

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Box Score:

Highland Tech (6-20): 11 10 8 7 - 36
Avery (19-10): 12 28 18 29 - 87

Highland Tech (36) - Graham 12, Robbins 7, Clanton 5, Hawkins 4, Robinson 3, Butler 3, Ledbetter 2
Avery (87) - Eudy 18, Vance 15, L. Avery 10, Shook 9, Ellis 9, Tennant 8, Wiseman 7, Bentley 7, Perry 2, Singleton 2

Turnovers: Highland Tech 31, Avery 18
3-point FG: Shook
Rebounds: Avery 52, Highland Tech 28
Foul Out: None
Technical Fouls: None

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Other Girls Scores (posted as they are reported):

1A West:

Bishop McGuinness 66, Thomasville 40

East Surry 75, River Mill Academy 61

Mount Airy 45, Alleghany 22

Hiwassee Dam 52, Polk County 32

Cherryville 69, Cherokee 67

Sectional Semifinal Preview: Highland Tech at Avery

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.

NCHSAA Boys Basketball Sectionals Wednesday's Second-Round Scores

Class 1A West
Bishop McGuinness 91, Thomasville 74
Winston-Salem Prep 63, W. Montgomery 57
Mt. Airy 70, Jordan Matthews 63
North Stokes 49, Albemarle 69
Nantahala 71, Hayesville 59
Cherryville 87, Cherokee 73
Hendersonville 54, Highland Tech 53
Murphy 94, Hiwassee Dam 63

Class 2A West
Forest Hills 76, Lexington 72
Ashe County 78, Providence Grove 60
East Lincoln 67, Monroe 53
Salisbury 74, Wilkes Central 62
Shelby 68, Mtn. Heritage 51
Smoky Mountain 76, Hibriten 57
Madison 64, East Rutherford 52
West Caldwell 74, Pisgah 66

Class 3A West
High Point Andrews 64, Marvin Ridge 48
West Rowan 71, Ragsdale 63
Concord 74, Reagan 65
Lake Norman 72, Trinity 69
Hickory 69, Olympic 64
Forestview 69, North Buncombe 60
Charlotte Catholic 52, Asheville 49
Asheville Erwin 44, St. Stephens 42

Class 4A West
Greensboro Page 69, North Forsyth 53
Mount Tabor 72, Vance 54
West Forsyth 73, High Point Central 63
Huntersville Hopewell 81, Winston-Salem Reynolds 68
Morganton Freedom 78, Harding 69
Myers Park 76, East Burke 53
Ardrey Kell 43, Butler 42
East Gaston 44, Alexander Central 42

Highlander Boys Fall; Regional Matchups Set

The Cloudland Highlanders came up short of their goal as they fell to Hampton in the District 1-A championships. The 'Landers return to action on Saturday evening at Washburn in the first round of the Region 1 tournament. The Lady 'Landers will also travel to Washburn on Friday to start the Region 1 tourney. We will have updates and more information as it becomes available.

Sectional Semifinal 1A Girls Playoff Matchups

The following are Sectional Semifinal matchups in the NCHSAA Western Regional 1A Girls Basketball Tournament. Games are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Thomasville at Bishop McGuinness
South Stokes at North Moore
(winners play each other Friday in Sectional Final)

River Mill Academy at East Surry
Alleghany at Mount Airy
(winners play each other Friday in Sectional Final)

Polk County at Hiwassee Dam
Cherokee at Cherryville

(winners play each other Friday in Sectional Final)

Highland Tech at Avery
Highlands at Robbinsville

(winners play each other Friday in Sectional Final)

Lady Vikings Cruise Past Elkin in State Playoff Opener; Other First Round Scores

Samantha Shook netted 17 points and Katie Ellis registered another double-double as four Avery players reached double figures in the Lady Vikings' dispatching of the visiting Elkin Lady Elks by an 82-40 final score at Viking Gym Tuesday night.

Avery opened the game with a 19-2 flurry in the game's opening 4:22 and never looked back. Shook, who left Friday night's Western Highlands Conference title game after a hard foul caused her head to collide with the hardwood, started Tuesday's game and showed no ill effects, netting ten of her game-high 17 points in the first period, including a pair of three-point buckets.

Junior Sara Wiseman chipped in off the bench with five baskets for ten points in the opening quarter as Avery took a 29-12 lead after one quarter of play. Elkin settled down and played a physical brand of defense in the second quarter of play. Junior Jordan Eldridge scored 12 first-half points to pace the Lady Elks, while the Elkin defense held the Lady Vikings scoreless over the first 3:45 of the second period.

Eldridge and teammates Kali Brooks and Alli Newman were the only Elks players to score in the entire first half, while fellow Elks Sydney Carter and Shanlyn Wagoner found the going tough defending the frontcourt foces of Avery's three-headed monster of Katie Ellis, Katelynn Eudy, and Sara Wiseman. Carter and Wagoner each picked up three fouls in the first half, hampering their playing time and effectiveness for much of the game.

The Lady Vikings held Elkin to only six points in the period as Avery teammates Elyse Perry, Lauren Avery, and Allison Vance combined for eight of the Big Red's ten points in the second quarter. Avery held a 39-18 lead at halftime.

As the second half began, the Avery backcourt took command. Allison Vance found open lanes to penetrate through the paint to the hoop for six points in the quarter, while fellow guard Shook again caught fire for seven points in the period.

Elkin countered with the play of 5'11" senior Alli Newman, who tallied six of her ten points for the game during the quarter. Kali Brooks also netted six in the stanza, but the Lady Elks still found themselves trailing by a 57-32 margin going into the final eight minutes of play.

The Lady Vikings closed out the game by outscoring Elkin 25-8 in the final quarter. Ellis scored seven of her 12 points for the game in the final period. The senior standout spent much of the contest at the free throw line from drawing fouls on Elkin defenders. Ellis shot 16 free throws in the game, converting on eight of them. The only true area of vulnerability displayed by the Lady Vikings in the entire evening was their efficiency at the charity stripe, where the club was 20 for 37 as a team. Elkin shot only seven free throws in the contest, making two.

Avery was paced by Shook's 17 points and three assists, with 13 from Wiseman, 12 points and 18 rebounds from Ellis, and 10 points and six assists from Vance. Eldridge led Elkin with 12 points and three rebounds. Kali Brooks scored ten points with five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Alli Newman added ten points and ten rebounds.

The Lady Vikings will host Highland Tech (6-20) in the second round on Thursday evening with a 7 p.m. tip time. The Lady Rams upset a 20-win Rosman Lady Tigers squad 70-69 in Gastonia on Tuesday evening. If Avery is victorious in Thursday's sectional semifinal, they would host the sectional final on Friday evening at 7 p.m. against the winner of Thursday's other semifinal between Highlands and Robbinsville.

Box:
Elkin 6 12 14 8 - 40
Avery 29 10 18 25 - 82

Avery 82 - L. Avery-7, Singleton 6, Perry 6, Vance 10, Shook 17, Ellis 12, Bentley 1, Tennant 4, Eudy 6, Wiseman 13

Elkin 40 - Eldridge 12, Brooks 10, Newman 10, Stike 2, Spagnoletti 2, Snow 2, Booker 2

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Other first round girls playoff scores (posted as we get them):

Girls West 1A:

Bishop McGuinnes 76, East Montgomery 42
North Moore 55, NCSSM 24
East Surry 61, Union Academy 21
River Mill Academy 65, Chatham Central 55
Alleghany 41, Raleigh Charter 38
Polk County 45, Swain 38
Hiwassee Dam 56, Murphy 44
Cherokee 55, Nantahala 40
Cherryville 72, Gray Stone 68
Highlands 65, Hendersonville 55
Robbinsville 63, Hayesville 28

Girls West 2A:
Mitchell 54, Maiden 53
Pisgah 54, Owen 34
Ashe County 67, West Davidson 27
Newton-Conover 39, Mountain Heritage 23

Varsity Boys Roundup: Avery Closes Season with WHC Tournament; Mountain Heritage Captures Title

Despite only capturing three victories for the 2008-09 season, the Avery High School varsity boys basketball team has shown steady improvement as the season has progressed. The squad has remained competitive in a number of rematches against conference opponents, a trend that held form in last Tuesday’s Western Highlands Conference first round contest at Mountain Heritage against the second-seeded Cougars.

Avery led after one quarter and threatened to pull off an improbable upset throughout the balance of the contest, but the experience and talent of the eventual tournament champion Cougars were crucial in a 66-56 victory to end the Vikings season.

Avery entered the opening round game with absolutely nothing to lose, and made things interesting against the Cougars on their home floor. Avery had played a solid game a week earlier in Big Red Country, falling by an 80-70 final score on Senior Night. The version of head coach Bo Manis’ club that took the floor for the tournament opener looked more like that squad and nothing like the team that was blown out by over 40 points the last time the team traveled to Burnsville back in January.

Avery moved the basketball around and out-hustled Heritage through the first quarter of play. Sophomore Colton Blackburn scored seven points in the first period to help Avery to a 15-9 lead after one period of action.

The Cougars grabbed their first lead of the game midway through the second quarter as part of an 11-1 scoring run that propelled them to a 32-24 lead with 1:50 left before halftime and eventual 38-31 halftime advantage.

Avery cut the lead to as little as three points at 44-41 with 4:52 left in the third quarter, but Heritage regrouped to score five straight points and extend its advantage back to eight. A basket by the Big Red in the final ten seconds of the period drew the Vikings within six at 49-43 after three quarters.

Mountain Heritage won the battle on the boards in the second half to extend possessions and create second and third shot opportunities. Steven Wilson and John Cannon were the primary recipients, using their height advantage to pull in 20 rebounds between them for the evening. Seven different Heritage players scored in the final stanza, with five points off the bench from Drew Letterman.

Avery looked to rally with the shooting of eventual All-Tournament Team selection Dustin Clarke. The sophomore guard scored 13 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, but Avery could not muster the final run needed to overtake the Cougars.

Kody Hughes was the only other Avery player in double figures with 12 points. Cole Blackburn added nine, while Chase Watson scored six off the bench. The Vikings conclude the tournament with three wins on the season, and with only one senior on the roster and a strong junior varsity roster, the future looks bright for the Big Red to make great strides in 2009-10.

Mountain Heritage advanced to defeat Mitchell in the semifinals of the tournament at Avery on Thursday night, and relied on Tournament Most Valuable Player Steven Wilson to lead the Cougars to a thrilling 55-53 win over the top-seeded Madison Patriots in the tournament championship game on Friday night at Viking Gym.

Elkin at Avery State Playoff Opening Round Preview

The Avery Lady Vikings begin their quest for a 1A state title this evening when they host the Elkin Lady Elks at Viking Gym. Avery enters the contest with a 17-10 overall record, while Elkin, seventh place finisher in the Northwest 1A Conference, holds a 6-17 overall mark.

Elkin is a young squad whose record belies their talent. The team is led by a number of players, including starting junior guard Jordan Eldridge, who is capable of shooting from long distance, a versatile senior forward/center in Alli Newman who can shoot the ball inside our beyond the arc, and a solid rebounder in senior forward Kali Brooks.

A recent contributor of late has been freshman Samantha Dimmette, a junior varsity standout who was called up to varsity following a broken finger suffered a few weeks ago by starting junior point guard Bailey Carter. Dimmette has led the team in scoring on multiple occasions, scoring a team-high 19 points in a recent contest against West Wilkes.

The club's best rebounder is sophomore forward/center Shanlyn Wagoner. She works the ball down low on the block and does not mind battling in the trenches under the basket.

Elkin plays in a tough conference with the likes of defending state champion Bishop McGuinness, East Surry, and Mount Airy. The Lady Vikings will need to be clicking on all cylinders to get by the Lady Elks tonight.

Injury Report: Elkin guard Bailey Carter (finger) is doubtful for this evening's contest, while Avery guard Samantha Shook sustained a head injury in the team's last contest against Mitchell and is out for tonight's contest.

We'll have a post-game wrapup of this evening's opening round playoff game shortly following the game here on the Blog!

Five-Peat! Lady Viking JVs Capture Tournament Championship in Historic Fashion

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!

Lady Vikings Tourney Ends with Instant Classic Title Game against Mitchell

The Avery Lady Vikings entered last week’s Western Highlands Conference Tournament as the second seed, and dominated early and often in blitzing the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats by a final score of 79-41 in their first round contest last Monday evening.

Through the first quarter the Lady Vikings worked to seize momentum. Katelynn Eudy scored six points in the opening eight minutes to pace Avery to a 16-6 lead by period's end. Avery outscored Hendersonville 18-7 over the opening five minutes of the second quarter to build a 34-13 lead.

By halftime a trio of Lady Vikings: Eudy, Katie Ellis, and Samantha Shook, had all reached double-figures scoring in assuming a commanding 43-19 halftime lead. Brooks Walz led the Lady Bearcats with 12 first half points.

Avery continued its scoring barrage with 16 points in the third quarter. Six different Lady Vikings scored in the quarter as the Big Red led 59-32 at the end of three stanzas and closed the tournament win in style with a 20-9 scoring run in the final eight minutes. Avery had seven players score in the final quarter and every player had scored by game's end.

Ellis finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five steals. Samantha Shook scored 13, with ten from Katelynn Eudy. Allison Vance had a terrific all-around night with eight points, six rebounds, three steals, and nine assists. Lauren Avery also netted six for the victorious Lady Vikings. Walz finished with 19 points for Hendersonville.

On Thursday the Lady Vikings expected a tough test from the #3 seed Polk County Lady Wolverines. In an unexpected turn of events, however, the Lady Vikings turned the game into a laugher, outplaying Polk in every facet of the game in a surprising 87-60 final score.

Avery took an early lead with a 10-2 run and led 21-8 after one quarter. The Lady Wolverines showed some bite in the second period, rallying to narrow the lead to 23-16 at the 5:40 mark of the second period. Following an Avery timeout, however, the Lady Vikings unleashed an offensive onslaught while using its press defense to disable the Polk squad.

A 21-8 run to close the first half left the Big Red leading 44-24. Polk leading scorer Kiki Miller was held scoreless in the first half as she was saddled with three first-half fouls. Miller was conspicuously absent from the Polk lineup for the entire second half as well.

The Lady Vikings scored 20 of more points in all four quarters en route to a season-high in scoring.

The Polk County defense had no answer for the frontcourt of the Lady Vikings. Katie Ellis finished the game with 19 points and 14 rebounds, with 17 points and nine rebounds from Katelynn Eudy, and 14 points from Sara Wiseman. Point guard Allison Vance added 12 points with eight from Samantha Shook in the decisive win.

The Mitchell Lady Mountaineers struggled but managed to get by with a 40-31 win over Mountain Heritage in the second semifinal at Viking Gym on Thursday, setting up a Friday showdown between the conference’s top two teams.

An electric atmosphere permeated the standing-room-only crowd that filled Viking Gym Friday night in anticipation of the championship contest, and the game more than lived up to its pre-game hype.

Avery made four of its first five shots as Samantha Shook drained an early three-pointer and Katelynn Eudy hit her first three shots to spark the Avery offense. Mitchell countered with strong play inside from forward Autumn Thompson, who scored seven first-quarter points to help tie the game at 16 after eight minutes.

Despite Avery shooting over 54 percent from the field in the first half to Mitchell’s 33 percent, the Lady Mountaineers took advantage of offensive rebounding and extra opportunities at the free throw line to keep the game close. The teams were knotted at 32 at halftime, with nine ties and six lead changes through the first two stanzas.

Midway through the third quarter Shook netted a second 3-point basket to push Avery to a 41-36 lead. Indicative of the heart of a champion, Mitchell responded with a pair of baseline baskets from Whitney Jones and a jumper from Samantha Smith to retake the lead at 44-43. The teams ended the quarter tied for the third straight time, knotted at 46 points apiece.

Both teams dug deep within themselves to find the stamina and will to win. The Big Red scored six of the first seven points in the final stanza to tie its largest lead at 52-47 with 5:57 remaining. A Smith jumper, plus a Laken Norris basket tied the game again at 52-52. An Eudy field goal was followed a short time later by an Allison Vance steal and Lauren Avery layup for a 56-52 Avery advantage at the 4:00 mark.

The Lady Mountaineers continued to show resilience in the face of adversity. A free throw and a Smith basket drew Mitchell back to within a point at 56-55, and the Mountaineers experienced further good fortune when Avery’s Eudy was whistled for her fifth foul with 2:35 left and the Lady Vikings leading 57-55, and fellow starter Samantha Shook was forced out of the game due to injury a short time later on an offensive foul from Mitchell’s Whitney Jones.

Mitchell capitalized on its opportunities down the stretch as Laken Norris scored on a short jumper to tie the game at 57. A pair of Katie Ellis free throws put Avery back on top 59-57 with two minutes to play, but a free throw each from Norris and Thompson over the next 40 seconds forced another tie score at 59-59 and set the stage for a dramatic finish.

Avery’s Vance was fouled by Norris with 1:00 left on the fourth quarter clock and sent to the free throw line. Faced with a one-and-one, the conference’s leading free throw shooter’s first shot was too strong. Mitchell rebounded the miss and held the basketball for one final shot. With the seconds ticking away, Norris, the league’s leading scorer at over 23 points a contest, passed out of a double-team to teammate Samantha Smith, who swished a 17-foot jump shot for the game-winning basket and 61-59 Lady Mountaineer win.

Four Lady Vikings scored in double-figures in the heartbreaking loss. Allison Vance led the Big Red with 14 points, four assists, three rebounds, and three steals. Katie Ellis added ten points and 12 rebounds, with ten points each from Lauren Avery and Katelynn Eudy. Laken Norris led Mitchell with 17 points on 7 for 21 shooting. Autumn Thompson added 13, with 12 from Samantha Smith.

Avery finished the conference season with a 17-10 overall record. The Lady Vikings qualified for the state 1A basketball tournament and hosts the wild card Elkin Lady Elks TONIGHT at 7 p.m. in Viking Gym.

JV Boys Advance past First Round, Fall in Semis

The fourth-seeded Avery JV boys won a thrilling opening round game on Monday at home over fifth-seeded Madison by the final score of 50-48.

The first half was a low scoring affair as the Vikings held a 6-4 lead after one period and the teams were knotted at 16 at halftime.Madison took control in the third quarter to build a 28-21 advantage, but Avery slashed the lead to 30-27 after three quarters. Avery continued the run as it outscored the Patriots 12-4 over the first two and half minutes of the final quarter to lead 39-34.

Madison answered the Avery rally with a 9-4 run of its own to tie the score at 43-43 with 2:23 left in the game.A free throw by Spencer Blackburn gave the Vikings the lead back by a point with 1:25 to play, while an additional basket and free throw bumped the lead to 47-43 with under 50 seconds left, but a Madison three-pointer cut the lead to 47-46. A Blackburn free throw made it a two-point game, and two clutch free throws from Timmy Stewart pushed the Viking lead to two possessions and put the game out of reach.

Spencer Blackburn scored a season-high 23 points in the win for the Big Red, with ten points from Alex Villanueva, six from Dustin Clark, five from Taylor Potter.Avery returned to the floor on Wednesday in Marshall to take on the Mountain Heritage Cougars and played with poise and control. The Big Red was in command for a vast majority of the contest, leading after one period by a score of 7-4 and led by a half dozen at 18-12 at halftime.

Head coach Reggie Oakes' squad played with discipline as it led 24-20 after three quarters, but the Cougars defense managed to keep the top-seeded Heritage team in the contest long enough for the offense to get untracked. A Heritage 9-0 run over the first 3:00 of the fourth quarter allowed the Cougars to tie the Vikings at 24-24 with 4:50 to go, then eventually took the lead over the Big Red on the scoreboard with 4:30 left in the contest.

The Cougars preserved its lead for the remainder of the game by playing stingy defense throughout the evening, a defense that prevented Avery from running away with the contest in the early portion of the semifinal, then forced a number of turnovers from the Vikings and prevented them from mounting a comeback. Heritage held on in the game's waning minutes to emerge victorious by the final score of 37-28. Mountain Heritage defeated Mitchell on Friday night to capture the JV boys championship.

Although the JV boys did not advance to Friday's tourney final, the team has played with determination and heart, showing vast improvement throughout the season in finishing with a .500 conference record after a 1-13 overall start.

Highlander Gameday: Cloudland vs. Hampton

The Highlanders and Bulldogs meet again in regional play at Chuckey-Doak. The 'Landers defeated University High on Saturday to take on the Hampton Lady Bulldogs.

Cloudland leads Hampton 21-14 at halftime. Buchanan leads the 'Landers with 7 points in a low-scoring half of action. Cloudland is 3 of 7 from behind the arc, while the Lady Bulldogs are 0 of 8 from long distance. We'll be posting further updates as Matt reports them from Chuckey.

Update #2: We have a final from Chuckey-Doak: Hampton wins it 46-42. Congratulations to the Lady 'Dogs. The same two schools will square off tomorrow evening in boys action.

Lady Vikings to Meet Buckin' Elks of Elkin in State Playoff Opener

The Avery Lady Vikings found out their playoff fate on Saturday evening when the NCHSAA released the brackets for the 1A state women's basketball playoffs.

Avery receives the Western Highlands Conference #1 1A seed and will host the Elkin Lady Buckin' Elks on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at Avery High School. Elkin enters the game as a Wild Card with a 6-16 overall record, while Avery enters Tuesday night off a heartbreaking 61-59 loss to Mitchell in the WHC Conference Tournament Championship game and is 17-10 overall.

An Avery victory would set up a potential second round home game in Newland on Thursday between the Lady Vikings and the winner of the contest between Highland Tech (5-20) and Rosman (20-6). A potential Rosman/Avery contest would set up the second contest of the season between the teams. Avery defeated Rosman 49-45 in a thrilling first round game at the BB&T Holiday Classic in Cherryville back in December.

Click on the image below for a full-size image of the full NCHSAA 1A Western Girls Regional Pairings.