Avery Tripped by Cloudland, Upends Watauga in Home Opener

Last week started roughly for the Avery High School (AHS) girls varsity basketball team, as the Lady Vikings fell behind early at Cloudland (CHS) and could not muster a rally in a 64-47 loss on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

On Friday, Dec. 3, however, the Big Red earned a measure of revenge over rival Watauga High School (WHS) in Big Red Country, roaring back from a double-figure deficit to defeat the Lady Pioneers 58-49 at The Octagon.

In the matchup with the Lady Landers in Roan Mountain, Avery hung tough with the hot shooting Cloudland squad. A scoring burst by the Lady Landers midway through the period forced an Avery timeout as Cloudland led 19-11. The Landers went on to lead 25-14 after one period.

During the second stanza, the Big Red was as cold shooting from the field that a team could possibly be, as the squad made zero field goals for the entire quarter. A combination of tough CHS defense and offensive rebounding, Lady Viking turnovers and an unkind rim deepened the Viking deficit, as CHS outscored AHS 13-1 in the quarter for a 38-15 halftime lead. A Savannah Dellinger free throw prevented the Big Red from going scoreless for the frame.

Playing its fourth straight game without the services of junior starting center Megan Tennant, AHS opened the third quarter with four straight points to cut the margin under 20 points, but the teams played even for much of the remainder of the period. A Kelsie Clarke field goal as time expired shaved the CHS lead to 47-28 entering the final eight minutes of play.

As the closing period ensued the Vikings showed it had no quit in them. AHS outscored the Landers 10-6 over a span of just over two minutes, as a Mercedes Bentley basket drew the Lady Vikings to within 53-38 and forced a timeout from CHS head coach Matt Birchfield.

AHS continued to stage a rally, as a three-point play by forward Katelynn Eudy and a field goal by Lauren Burleson brought the Big Red to within a dozen at 55-43 with 3:20 to play in the contest. CHS staved off the comeback attempt, however, forcing three Avery turnovers over the next four Viking offensive possessions, and knocked down enough key free throws down the stretch to seal the 17-point win.

Bentley led the Lady Vikings with 12 points, while Eudy added eight points, eight rebounds and three assists. Burleson scored eight points with five rebounds, with five points apiece from Mary Chesnut Smith.

The Lady Vikings opened up its home schedule with a huge win over the Lady Pioneers for its first “W” of 2010-11. 

For a while, it looked like WHS (1-1) was going to pitch a shutout. Avery started off miserably from the field by making just 1-of-11 shots and not scoring until a Lauren Burleson basket went through with 3:07 left in the first quarter.

Though WHS claimed an 18-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, they could not add on to it in the second and took a 33-22 lead into halftime.
“We controlled the game in the first half,” Pioneers head coach Klay Anderson said. “I felt like we did what we needed to do. We threw it inside. We were consistent on offense and we were getting some good shots.”
AHS (1-4) finally pulled even in the third quarter by going on a 11-0 run to tie the game at 37-37. The Vikings went in front for good in the fourth quarter after an old-fashioned three-point play by Tennant, who played in her first game of the season since suffering a leg injury in the preseason, gave them a 44-41 lead.
“There was a time in the first half when the lead hovered about nine points or 11 points or 10 points and we never could push it up,” Anderson said. “We let them hang around with offensive rebounds and in that second quarter is what kept hope alive for them to have a chance in the third quarter.”
WHS did not score in the fourth quarter until a Shipp broke a drought with a basket 3:12 left in the game. The score left the Pioneers behind 46-43 and WHS was never able to make up the difference.
AHS put pressure on WHS's defense with a full-court press that bothered the Pioneers into either turning the ball over, or not getting smoothly into their offense.
“In the second half, I admire (Avery coach Missy) Lyons,” Anderson said. “She could have set back in a zone and we could have kept beating them to death, but she gambled and tried something different and on this night, we couldn't handle it.”
Tennant led all scorers with 18 points, while Bentley added 15. Burleson finished with seven.
The Big Red also held an advantage at the free throw line, converting 22-of-40 from the line, compared to 11-of-25 shooting from WHS. Bentley made 13-of-15, including all three attempts after she was fouled attempting a three-point shot.
WHS’s Brooke Rhodes, who dominated Avery in the first meeting between the schools with a double-double performance, led WHS with 15 points. Hannah Shipp had nine; Alford finished with eight points, all in the first half.

Avery’s non-conference contest scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, at West Wilkes was postponed by inclement weather. The Lady Vikings will next take the floor on Friday, Dec. 10, with the return contest at home against Cloudland.