On Monday night Avery opened its quest for a state 1A girls basketball championship with an opening round playoff game in Viking Gym against visiting Elkin.
The Lady Elks hung tough through a quarter and a half, but an Avery spurt to close the half and a strong third quarter surge propelled the Big Red to an 81-53 first round playoff victory.
Avery had a hard time hitting shots in the opening stanza as the club made only six of its 20 shots in the first period. Lauren Avery paced the way with eight of the total of 14 Lady Viking points for the quarter, but the Big Red held only a two-point lead after one period at 14-12.
In the second quarter the Avery press began to take its toll on the Lady Elks. Avery forced over 15 turnovers in the first half from Elkin, while the defense held the Lady Elks to just ten points for the quarter. In the meantime Avery’s offense generated off its defensive intensity. Katelynn Eudy scored three baskets in the interior, while Mercedes Bentley scored six points off the bench during the frame. Lauren Avery added another pair of buckets to slingshot the Big Red to a double-figure lead at 37-22 at intermission.
Avery put the contest away for good in the third quarter as its defense contributed to a cold shooting streak for Elkin. The Lady Elks made just two field goals and scored just five points in the frame (a combined 15 points over a two-period stretch). Avery meanwhile outscored Elkin 29-10 in the two-quarter span. Sara Wiseman scored a pair of baskets in the third and Bentley added five additional points to give the Vikings a 53-26 lead, and the squad cruised in the final eight minutes to finish the 28-point rout.
Four Lady Vikings scored in double-figures in the win, led by Lauren Avery’s double-double effort of 16 points and 14 rebounds, to go with four steals and four assists. Mercedes Bentley added 15 points, with 13 points, 5 steals, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists from Hayley Pyatte, and 10 points and 10 rebounds from Sara Wiseman. Katelynn Eudy finished the night with eight points, 10 rebounds, and three steals. In all, 12 different Lady Vikings scored points in the contest. Jordan Eldridge and Bailey Carter each scored 14 points to lead Elkin.
Avery improves its record to 22-3 for the season, but must travel on Wednesday evening to Hiwassee Dam out of the Little Smoky Mountain Conference for its second round matchup. The Eagles won their playoff opener over Rosman 50-29 to set up the playoff contest. Directions to the school as distributed from the Avery High School athletics departmentis listed below:
Hiwassee Dam High School
267 Blue Eagle Circle
Murphy, NC 28906
Hiwassee Dam is approximately 140 miles west of Asheville. Follow I-40 W past the Canton exit and take Exit 27. Exit 27 merges with US 23/74 west; follow 23S/74W past Sylva, Bryson City, Nantahala Gorge, Topton, and Andrews, to Murphy. Proceed west on 74/129. Turn right on Hwy 294 approximately 10 miles west of Murphy. Follow Hwy 294 for approximately 8 miles and turn left into the school driveway. Visitor parking is located in the front of the building.
TOTAL DRIVE TIME: Approx. 193 miles 4 hours and 22 minutes
journey in Viking Gym against a familiar foe in the West Wilkes Blackhawks, a team that had won four of its last five contests.
The Vikings defeated West 73-35 in Newland back on December 17th as Dustin Clarke went off for 26 points, 13 assists, 6 assists and 6 steals with 18 points from Joey Potter in the lopsided triumph.
Monday’s contest was a tougher affair as West slowed down the pace of the contest and utilized a zone defense to neutralize the offensive firepower of the Big Red. Nevertheless, a strong fourth quarter allowed the Vikings to pull away in a 65-52 first round victory.
Avery led 14-7 after one quarter as senior Luke Pittman scored a pair of baskets off the bench to help the Vikings gain its advantage. A pair of three-pointers, one each from Kody Hughes and Mark Polsgrove, increased the Avery edge to nine points at intermission at 24-15.
The Vikings held West to just 22 percent shooting in the first half, and 1 of 9 from three-point range en route to building its lead.
In the third quarter, however, West’s offense, particularly its perimeter shooting, improved as a pair of three-pointers from Ethan Absher and a three-point basket from Logan Hallock allowed the Blackhawks to cut the Avery lead to
If the pace of the first three quarters was a crawl, the fourth quarter was a sprint to the finish. Both teams turned up their intensity and the points followed. West Wilkes cut the Avery lead to as little as two points at 39-37 early in the fourth quarter, but Avery pulled ahead for good with an 11-4 scoring run.
Avery’s leading scorer Dustin Clarke, who had scored only five points through three periods, scored 11 points in the fourth, while teammate Joey Potter scored three key baskets in transition under the basket during the rally to allow the Vikings to build its lead back to double-digits.
The Viking defensive pressure held West to just 1 of 9 shooting from beyond the arc in the final eight minutes, while Avery made good on 11 of its 15 shots from the field in the period to earn the win and advance to play at Nantahala on Wednesday in the second round of the state playoffs.
“Coach Oakes and I knew this was going to be a different game from the first time, even from the end of the first time we played. I think West Wilkes did a good job moving the ball around tonight. They played a low scoring game the past few games, and we made some turnovers that helped them. Their zone stopped us from penetrating, but we kept pushing to work the ball inside,” Coach Manis said after the win. “It took us some time to adjust to what they were doing, but eventually our working the basketball inside wore them down. We played better defense in the second half and our defense starting turning into more scoring opportunities.”
Dustin Clarke ended the night with 16 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds, with 15 points (10 in the second half) from Joey Potter. Kody Hughes scored 11 points, with ten points off the bench from Luke Pittman and eight points from Dylan Eppley. Ethan Absher paced West Wilkes with 14 points.
The win was a sweet one for the Vikings, considering its transformation from a team with only three wins each of the past two seasons to 11 victories in 2009-10 including a win in the state playoffs.
“It means a lot to us to get to this point. I’ve been with three of our four seniors since they started high school and we’ve been through a lot of good times and bad times,” Coach Manis stated. “These players as a group deserve to be where they are right now, and it means a lot to this school and this county. All the players work hard, and getting to play another night is another reward for their efforts this year.”
Avery will travel on Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. tip time at Nantahala High School, member of the Little Smoky Mountain Conference. Directions to the school as distributed from the Avery High School athletics department is listed below:
Nantahala High School
213 Winding Stairs Rd
Topton, NC 28781
Take I-40 West past Asheville. Follow I-40 W past the Canton exit and take Exit 27. Exit 27 merges with US 23/74 west; follow 23S/74W past Sylva, Bryson City, Nantahala Gorge, Topton, and Andrews, to Murphy. Turn right at W. Hwy 19/Us-19 S/US-74 W. Continue to follow US-19 S/US-74 W for approx. 7.7 miles. Turn left a Wayah Rd and continue for approx. 4.5 miles. Turn left at Winding Stairs Rd. Nantahala High School will be on the right.
Drive Time: Approx. 146 miles 3 hours and 5 minutes
Take I-40 West past Asheville. Follow I-40 W past the Canton exit and take Exit 27. Exit 27 merges with US 23/74 west; follow 23S/74W past Sylva, Bryson City, Nantahala Gorge, Topton, and Andrews, to Murphy. Turn right at W. Hwy 19/Us-19 S/US-74 W. Continue to follow US-19 S/US-74 W for approx. 7.7 miles. Turn left a Wayah Rd and continue for approx. 4.5 miles. Turn left at Winding Stairs Rd. Nantahala High School will be on the right.
A full report on Avery’s playoff push in the 1A basketball playoffs can be read in next week’s print edition, as well as online.
