The Lady Wildcats got off to a fast start with a 9-2 scoring run over the first quarter of action. In the second period the Lady Panthers rallied with its defense and rebounding to claw back into the contest, outscoring Cranberry by a 13-3 margin, including a buzzer-beating shot to take a 15-12 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Avery scored the first bucket of the second half to take a five-point edge at 17-12, but the Lady Wildcats proved it could also stage a rally, roaring back to score 15 of the final 17 points of the third period to take its largest lead of the game at 27-19 after three periods.
“That scoring run says a lot about our team and how they never quit,” Cranberry head coach Jimmy Tilley said after the game. “I thought this was probably the best game we played all year.”
In the final six minutes, the Lady Panthers showed their competitive spirit as well, putting together a final scoring spurt to draw within two points for the final three minutes of the contest. Jodi Poore drained a three-pointer and a basket, with a bucket from Kylie Polsgrove and a pair of free throws from Destiny Ollis to power Avery’s offensive attack. The Avery defense also held the Lady Wildcats without a field goal in the final quarter.
Despite the cooled shooting touch, Cranberry managed to withstand the Avery flurry, however, with three free throws which proved to help provide the margin of victory.
Cranberry’s Bethany Burleson led all scorers with 13 points, with six points from Elizabeth Pittman, four points from Sierra Jones, three from Brandy Banner and two apiece from Emma Shell and Abby Roberts.
Poore netted nine points to pace Avery, with seven points from Polsgrove, four from Keturah Taylor, and two points each from Ashley Singleton, Ollis, Christian Burleson and Rainn Wiseman.
“I’m just really proud of the girls. They work hard and try to do the things I ask them to do. It’s a big win for them and I hope it builds their confidence a little bit,” Tilley said after the win. “We’re really trying to grow as a team during the games. It’s a slow process with a new coach and system, but we’re trying to get the girls to grow a little with each game and play as a team. I think tonight they’ve played as well as a team than at any point so far this year.”
For the Lady Panthers, although they didn’t come out on top on the scoreboard, the team continues to improve and grow as a unit.
“The girls have been hustling and doing what we’ve been asking them to do. Tonight we didn’t come out and play in the first and third quarters, but all in all, they’re learning a lot,” Avery head coach Tonia Hall said after the contest. “It’s a big transition for the girls to change from the zone they used last year to the man-to-man we’re using this year. The girls are learning the fundamentals right now that they will have to know to play for Missy (Avery High School Coach Lyons). Our girls played hard and they all play well, but we need to come out ready to play and do a better job of running our offense.”
In the night cap for the evening, the undefeated Avery Panthers boys team were held in check through the first quarter of its matchup with the Cranberry Wildcats, but the offense got in gear late in the half and pulled away to earn a 45-18 victory.
Early in the second period, the Panthers began to use a pressing defense and force the tempo of the contest to pick up. Avery used a 14-4 scoring run in the second quarter to build a 19-10 halftime advantage. Austin Phillips paced the Panthers with eight points in the opening half, while Tyler Pittman netted six points to lead Cranberry going into the locker room.
In the third period, the Panthers continued to run the floor. The defense held the Wildcats to three points in the stanza as Levi McIntosh provided the lone field goal for the Cranberry club. Avery extended its lead to 35-13 with a 16-point third period. Phillips added a pair of baskets, with seven in the quarter from Kobe Pittman and baskets from Dylan Bauer and Tre Jackson as Avery improved its record to 5-0 for the season.
“We were tight to start the game. In this rivalry records mean nothing, and I think we felt the rivalry factor. Once we relaxed and I convinced them that we weren’t playing well on offense and needed to play defense to win, the team responded. It was a heck of a second-half defense and I’m really proud of the team,” Panthers head coach Gordon Polsgrove said after the win. “We had more turnovers than I would have liked, but we battled on the boards pretty well and we were more deliberate than we have been at times and were patient.”
“The first quarter was good and it was our game plan to take care of the basketball, keep our turnovers to a minimum and not give them too many scoring opportunities,” Cranberry head coach Jimmy Tilley said after the game. “They were just bigger and more athletic than we were. Again, we were just unable to match up with them.”
Phillips and Pittman scored double-figures for Avery with 14 and 13 points, respectively, with five points apiece from Jackson and Dalton Tennant and two points each from Jacob Waldroup, Jeffrey Puckett, Bauer and Jacob Smith.
Cranberry was paced by Pittman’s nine points, with four from McIntosh, two apiece from Caleb Stansberry and Aaron Dugger, and a point from Kasey Ross.
Both Avery and Cranberry continue Toe River Conference basketball action this week.
