Halftime statistics

Scoring:
Bishop McGuinness:
Petrangeli 7 pts.
Megan Buckland: 8 points 5 rebounds
Erin Fitzgerald: 6 points, 2 rebounds

Avery:
Lauren Avery: 6 points, 4 rebounds
Elyse Perry: 2 pts., 2 assists
Hayley Pyatte: 4 pts., 2 reb.
Katelynn Eudy: 2 pts., 7 rebounds, 3 blocks
Sara Wiseman: 2 points, 3 rebounds
Mary Chesnut Smith and Mercedes Bentley: 2 points each

Avery shot 30.8 percent in the first half (8/26)
Bishop shot 9/27 (33%) from the field

Second half coming up!

Game 2: Avery vs Bishop McGuinness

The lady Vikings and the lady Villains are about to square off to find out who will be facing off with Mitchell High School tomorrow night. Both teams are warming up and the game will be starting very shortly. Best of luck to our Lady Vikings!

Update 1: This game starts out with the Villains geting two points. Hayley Pyatte goes to the line and puts up two points. Megan Buckland also puts up two for the Villains. Elyse Perry sinks a shot putting two up for Avery bringing the score to 5-4(BMHS). Erin Fitzgerald takes a steady shot and makes it putting 2 up for the Villains. Lauren Avery goes to the line and hits both free throws. Bishop McGuinness drives down the court scoring two more points.

Update 2: Lauren Avery is back at the line and hits one out of two of her free throws. Mercedes Bentley hits a 2-pointer bringing the score to 8-9(BMHS).

End of Period 1: Avery 8 Bishop McGuinness 9

Update 3: The Villains Erin Fitzgerald sinks a shot for two points. Marie Petrangeli also hits a shot for the villains bringing the score to 13-8(BMHS)

Update 4: Both teams are shooting 50% on Free throws so far in this game. Sara Wiseman hits one for Avery. Lauren Avery tosses up a nice layup for two more points closing the gap 13-12(BMHS). 4:52 left in the half.

Update 5: Avery takes the lead in this game for the first time as Katelynn Eudy hits a jump shot for 2. Lauren Avery puts up two more points for the Vikings bringing them up to a 3 point lead. Bishops Megan Buckland gets sent to the line and hits both free throws. Hayley Pyatte drives down the court and scores two more for Avery. Bishop's Sarah Coon gets sent to the line and sinks both her free throws bringing the score to 18-17(AHS).

Update 6: Erin Fitzgerald shoots over her defender to give the villains two more points. Avery and Bishop take turns driving down the court for two points each. With less than 1 minute remaining in the half Bishop's Marie Petrangeli gets sent to the line and hits both her free throws bringing the score to 23-20(BMHS). Megan Buckland goes for a layup at the buzzer and gives the Villains two more points.

Half Time: Avery 20 Bishop McGuinness 25

Stats for the Half:

Avery

Point leaders

Lauren Avery 6

Hayley Pyatte 4

Turnovers: 10

Blocks: 5

Steals: 3

FG%: 30.8

3FG%: 0

FT%: 50

Bishop

Point leaders

Marie Petrangeli 7

Erin Fitzgearld 6

Turnovers 7

Steals 8

FG%:35.7

FT%:87.5

Update 7: The score is 31-22(BMHS). The crowed is starting the Lets go Avery chant to show their support. Bishops Marie Petangeli drives down the court and puts two points up. Megan Buckland puts up two more points for the Billains and pulls the foul but she misses her free throw shot. Megan Buckland shoots from the outside for 3 points bringing the score to 38-22(BMHS). Lauren Avery hits a 3. Bishop answers by driving down the court for two.

Update 8: Bishop and Avery both take a turn Driving up the court and scoring. Averys Mercedes Bentley hits a nice jump shot making the score 42-30(BMHS).

End of third Period Avery 30 Bishop McGuinness 42

Update 9: Sara Wiseman sinks a 3-pointer. Bishop's Sarah Coon gets sent to the line hitting both her free throws. Marie Petrangeli had a layup putting up two more points for the Villains. Lauren Avery gets sent to the line and makes it look easy giving Avery 2 more points bringing the score to 46-35(BMHS).

Update 10: Avery's Elyse Perry dives through the defenders for a layup putting up two points. Sara Wise man shoots for two points. 2:35 on the clock 51-39(BMHS).

Update 11: Bishops Megan Buckland gets sent to the line and hits one of her free throws. Erin Liebal also gets sent to the line putting up two more points for the Villains. Sarah Coon gets sent to the line but does not manage to score any more points for the Villains. Lauren Avery hits a big three pointer bringing the score to 54-34(BMHS).

Update 12: Lauren Avery gets fouled out sending Megan Buckland to the line giving the Villains two points. Megan Buckland goes back to the line again and hitting one of her free throws.

Final Score Avery 42 Bishop McGuinness 57

Mitchell/Mount Airy halftime stats

Some halftime statistics from Mitchell/Mount Airy:

Laken Norris (MIT): 9 points, 2 Rebounds
Autumn Thompson (MIT): 4 points, 4 Rebounds
Danica Huskins (MIT): 6 points, 5 rebounds

Jordan Hiatt (MTA): 6 pts.
Ellie Case (MTA): 5 pts., 2 reb
Three other players: 4 pts. each

First game of the night: Mitchell vs Mount Airy

Jamie's note: Special Thanks to the AJ-T's own Johnny Hayes for helping out from Greensboro with website updating throughout both Western 1A girls tournament games tonight.

We are live from fleming gymnasium this evening. We will bringing you live updates of the games tonight. The First game of the night has just started. We will be keeping you updated as the action happens tonight.

Update 1: The first basket of the game goes to Jordan Hiatt of Mount Airy. Which is answered soon after by two baskets from Mitchell's Danica Huskins and Lakin Norris. Lakin is fouled and hits both of her shots bringing the score to 6-2 Mitchell.

Update 2: Mount Airy's Danielle Williams is fouled she missed one of her free throws putting up 1. Mitchell drives down the court and Lakin is fouled once again putting up two more points with free throws. Mitchell leads 12 to 9 after Autumn Thompson puts up two points for Mitchell with one minute left on the clock for the first period.

End of 1st Period: Mitchell 12 Mount Airy 9

Update 3: Mitchell's Natalie Jones gets fouled early in the second period hitting one of her free throws. Danica Huskins drives down the court putting two points up for Mitchell. Bringing the score to 19-18 Mitchell with two minutes remaining in the half. Danielle Williams hits a big 3 pointer bringing the score to 23-19 Mount Airy one minute to go. Lyndsay Jensen goes to the line and hits both of her hows closing the score to 23-21. Lakin Norris pulls out a 3 of her own to bring the score to 25-24 Mount Airy 16 with seconds left on the clock.

Half Time: Mitchell 24 Mount Airy 25

Update 4: Mitchell's Emily Glenn starts out the second half by hitting two free throws. Brittany Webster shoots over her defender to put two more points up for Mount Airy. Ellie Case hits a 3 for Mount Airy bringing the score to 30-26(MAHS). Lakin answers with another 3 trying to close the gap. Autumn Thompson goes to the line and puts up 2 for Mitchell. Taylor Hiatt hits 2 free throws for Mount Airy. The score is 40-35(MAHS) with one minute left on the clock. Lakin goes to the line and puts up 2 more points. Ellie Case gets fouled and hits both free throws bringing the score to 44-38 (MAHS). Lakin goes back to the line again and hits both shots.

End of 3rd Period: Mitchell 40 Mount Airy 44

Update 5: This period starts out with Emily Glenn sinking two free throw shots taking the gap down to two points. Autumn Thompson puts up two points making the score tied at 44. Lakin makes a great layup giving Mitchell the lead. She also hits a free throw bringing the score to 47-44 Mitchell. These Mitchell fans are going absolutely crazy. Mount Airy ties the game back up and Taylor Hiatt gets sent to the line where she changes the lead to 49-47 Mount Airy. Lakin drives down the court and puts up two more for Mitchell to tie the game back up at 49. Emily Glenn shoots for two to give the lead back to Mitchell and Mount Airy Ties it back up. Mount Airy hits a free throw giving them a one point lead. Emily Glenn is sent back to the line where she brings the lead back to Mitchell 53-52. Mount Airy's Ellie Case scores two bringing the score to 56-53(MAHS) with 1:51 left on the clock.

Update 6: Emily Glenn is at the line again hitting both shots. Mitchell is shooting 95.7% on their free throws tonight. Taylor Hiatt hits two free throws bringing the team average of Mount Airy to 92.2%. Mitchell drives down the court and scores two making the score tied at 58.

On the final possession of the game, Mitchell's Glenn puts up a shot that rims out. Lakin Norris connects on an offensive rebound and putback at the buzzer to win the game 60-58 for Mitchell High School. They will go on to play the winner of Avery and Bishop McGuinness.

Final Score: Mitchell 60 Mount Airy 58

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM.... Fleming Gym (Western 1A Girls Regional Tournament)

We are LIVE at the campus of UNC-Greensboro for this evening's NCHSAA 1A Girls Western Regional High School Basketball Tournament. In the first matchup, the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers take on the Mount Airy Lady Bears. The second game of the twin bill features the 24-3 Avery Lady Vikings tangling with the Lady Villains of Bishop McGuinness High School.

Some things to watch in tonight's Avery/Bishop matchup:

1.) FAST START
-The Avery Lady Vikings got off to a fast start in its sectional semifinal matchup with Hiwassee Dam and built a double-digit lead, only to see the Lady Eagles come back on its home floor to take a late two-point advantage. In last Friday's sectional final at Robbinsville, the Lady Vikings fell behind early 7-0 but came back to take the lead late in the first quarter.

In a game where nerves and pressure seem to play a greater role than during a regular season matchup, the Lady Vikings would do well to get out in transition early, score some easy baskets, and get off to a hot start. Bishop is a good squad, but the one area Avery holds a distinct advantage in is EXPERIENCE. The Lady Vikings start four seniors who have been through big games before.

2.) "BUCK" THE TREND
-Bishop McGuinness guard Megan Buckland leads the team in scoring with over 19 points a contest. Buckland shoots 51 percent from the field, and made 70 of 148 shots from three-point range this season, a 47% clip. One other player, Sammi Goldsmith, shot 111 3-point shots, making only 28 for a 25 percent efficiency.

Buckland is the heart and soul of the Bishop attack. As she goes, so goes the Villains.

3.) THE AWARD FOR BEST PLAYER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE GOES TO.....
- For Avery to achieve optimal success, it must get a host of players involved doing the things that they excel in. Megan Tennant had a great game in last Friday's sectional final with 7 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Megan's contributions off the bench will be crucial inside, while a strong game shooting by Mercedes Bentley will help open up the paint for Avery's frontline to dominate.

Lauren Avery has stepped up of late to score with the basketball, but the Lady Vikings could use a good scoring and rebounding evening from junior Katelynn Eudy, who has shown flashes of dominance this season, and she and teammate Sara Wiseman potentially can be matchup nightmares for the Lady Villains.

Bishop has Buckland to carry the bulk of the offensive burden, but players such as Goldsmith (60 steals this season) and Erin Fitzgerald (8.7 rebounds/game) must provide tangible contributions to keep Avery at bay.

4.) THE TEAM OF SECOND CHANCES
- Avery completely dominated the Lady Knights on the offensive backboards last Friday night at Robbinsville, making it appropriate that an offensive rebound and putback from Sara Wiseman won the ballgame.

If Avery experiences similar measures of success in tonight's contest, the chances of Avery punching a ticket to Saturday's regional final is substantially higher.

5.) TAKE CARE OF THE ROCK
-Despite its win last Friday night against Robbinsville, the Lady Vikings committed in the neighborhood of 20 turnovers. In games where Avery has struggled this season, it has done its part via turnovers to help the opponent.

Bishop McGuinness averages around 10 turnovers per game, a number the Lady Vikings will do well to up by using its press defense to generate offense.


Those are some areas to keep an eye on as the Lady Vikings and Lady Villains square off tonight. Time permitting, we'll provide a couple of updates on the night's first matchup between Mitchell and Mount Airy.

Thanks so much for following along, and.... GO LADY VIKINGS!!!!

Driving Directions to Western Regional Tournament in Greensboro

Avery High School Lady Vikings have advanced to the Regional of the state basketball championships. The Ladies will play Bishop McGuinness High School, the start time will be 8:30 pm on Friday March 3, 2010 @ University of North Carolina Greensboro-Fleming Gymnasium. Saturday's Championship game will start at 4:00 pm.

The following are driving directions, courtesy the Avery High School Department of Athletics.

Directions:

University of North Carolina @ Greensboro Approx. 140 miles 2 hrs and 50 min.

Admission

Session Tickets--

Adult Price: $9.00

Child Price: Free for age 5 and under

Parking is $5, in the Walker Avenure Parking Deck for the NCHSAA Western Regional Championships.

Take US-421 South. Merge onto I-40 East. Take the Wendover Avenue East Exit. Follow Wendover to the exit for Market Street (3.5 miles). Turn right on Market Street and follow for less than 1 mile. Turn right on Aycock Street South. At second stoplight, turn left on Spring Garden Street. Turn left on Stirling Street, and the Walker Avenue Parking Deck will be on your left at the corner of Stirling and Theta Streets. Fleming Gymnasium will be across the street.

Western 1A Regional Head Coaches Interviews

Exclusive interviews with the head coach from each of the participating schools at this weekend's Western 1A Regional Girls Basketball championships can be heard with the links below.

Please click on the image of the coaches below for an audio interview conducted at this week's Western Regional Press Conference at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center.
















Avery Lady Vikings Head Coach Missy Lyons

Bishop McGuinness Coach Brian Robinson

Mitchell Head Coach Dawn Lowe


















Mount Airy Head Coach Howard Mayo

Wiseman Selected for Blue/White All-Star Game

Avery senior post player Sara Wiseman has been selected to take part in the annual Rhododendron Blue/White basketball game, held at TC Roberson High School in Skyland.

The rosters for both squads were released Wednesday. High School seniors are selected out of the Western North Carolina area to play in the prestigious contest.

Here are both girls rosters for the event, to be held March 19th.

Blue
Whitney Brinkley, Reynolds
Jaalen Corpening, McDowell
Euletha Davis, Chase
Xandi Gellman, McDowell
Nicole Gentry, North Buncombe
Jessica Hartley, North Henderson
Karlee Taylor, Reynolds
Sheena Twitty, Owen
Sara Wiseman, Avery County

White
Kareen Abling, Hiwassee Dam
Tahnee Arkansas, Cherokee
Kristi Burchfield, Robbinsville
Kirklin Kirkpatrick, Tuscola
Sarah Maloy, Erwin
Cortney Rogers, Asheville
Melanie Stewart, Franklin
Brooks Walz, Hendersonville
Joanna Whitmire, Rosman
Baley Woods, Pisgah

'Landers roll past UH

The Cloudland Highlanders advanced to the Region 1-A Championship game, and also secured a substate berth on Monday evening with a 65-46 victory over the University High. The ‘Landers came out as they jumped out to an early 13-2 lead. The Jr. Bucs finally got going, but the ‘Landers led 17 to eight at the end of the first quarter.

Cloudland led 29-21 at the half. The third quarter saw CHS take the lead back to double dights and secured the victory in the fourth quarter. Logam Morgan had 21 points while Matthew Potter had 20. Hyden had 11 points, and Cody Bullwinkle added nine.

The ‘Landers will take on the winner of the Cosby-Hampton game on Thursday evening. The Highlanders will face an opponent from Region 2-A on Monday night with a chance to go to the state tournament on the line.

For a more detailed recap, please check the Avery Journal-Times NEXT Wednesday. The Blog will also have updates from Thursday and Monday evening.

1A GIRLS WESTERN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT TEAM PROFILES

1A GIRLS WESTERN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT TEAM PROFILES

AVERY LADY VIKINGS

Record: 24-3

Road to Greensboro:

d. Elkin 81-53

d. Hiwassee Dam 60-58

d. Robbinsville 68-67 ot

Scoring Leaders:

Lauren Avery: 13.1

Sara Wiseman: 11.3

Rebounding Leaders:

Sara Wiseman: 8.2

Lauren Avery: 7.5

Assist Leaders:

Elyse Perry: 5.7

Lauren Avery: 3.5

Steals Leaders:

Elyse Perry: 3.1

Lauren Avery: 2.4

Knowledge Nuggets:

- Avery avenged last year’s sectional final as it looks to capture its first Western Regional championship.

- After starting the season with a loss, the Lady Vikings reeled off 2 different win streaks of ten games or

greater.

- Avery logged over 700 bus miles en route to its last two sectional playoff victories.

- Head Coach Missy Lyons eclipsed the 100-win mark at Avery earlier this season.

- 2 of Avery’s 3 losses came against Western Highlands foe Mitchell.

Coach’s one-word team description: Dedicated

Avery Head Coach Missy Lyons

BISHOP McGUINNESS LADY VILLAINS

Record: 20-7

Road to Greensboro:

d. Bessemer City 79-21

d. Chatham Cent. 55-38

d. Highland Tech 56-25

Scoring Leaders:

Megan Buckland: 19.5

Erin Fitzgerald: 9.4

Rebounding Leaders:

Erin Fitzgerald: 8.7

Megan Buckland: 7.7

Assist Leaders:

Megan Buckland: 4.6

Sammi Goldsmith: 1.7

Steals Leaders:

Megan Buckland: 5.1

Sammi Goldsmith: 2.2

Knowledge Nuggets:

- Bishop McGuinness is the four-time defending state 1A champions
and hold an 8-game winning streak in regional play.

- Megan Buckland has scored in double-figures in 24 of
her team’s 27 games this season.

- Bishop McGuinness finished second in the Northwest 1A/2A Conference

losing to fellow Regional qualifier Mount Airy three times.

- Coach Brian Robinson is looking for career win #200 at Bishop

in Friday’s semifinal game and is 246-87 overall

.

Coach’s one-word team description: Entertaining

Bishop McGuinness
Head Coach Brian Robinson

MITCHELL LADY MOUNTAINEERS

Record: 23-4

Road to Greensboro:

d. Swain 60-22

d. Murphy 55-37

d. East Wilkes 67-54

Scoring Leaders:

Lakin Norris: 23.5

Rebounding Leaders:

Autumn Thompson: 5.9

Lakin Norris 4.2

Emily Glenn 4.1

Steals Leaders:

Lakin Norris:5.3

Danica Huskins: 2.1

Ashley Greene 2.1

Knowledge Nuggets:

- Mitchell makes its 3^rd straight Western Regional appearance, its first at the 1A level.

- The Lady Mountaineers won the Western Highlands Conference regular season and conference tournament in ’09-’10..

- Senior Lakin Norris has been named to the Carolinas All-Star Classic girls team. Norris eclipsed the 2,000 point mark in her career earlier this season.

- Mitchell won the 2A Western Regional both in 1996 & 2003, with a pair of state titles.

Coach’s one-word team description: Heart

Mitchell Head Coach Dawn Lowe

MOUNT AIRY LADY BEARS

Record: 27-2

Road to Greensboro:

d. North Stokes 41-40

d. Albemarle 67-34

d. East Surry 59-47

Scoring Leaders:

Ellie Case: 14.5

Jordan Hiatt: 10.8

Rebounding Leaders:

Taylor Hiatt: 6.7

Andria Leonard: 5.9

Assist Leaders:

Jordan Hiatt: 3.5

Ellie Case: 1.7

Steals Leaders:

Jordan Hiatt: 2.4

Andria Leonard: 2.4

Knowledge Nuggets:

- The Granite Bears defeated fellow Northwest Conference rival
East Surry to advance to Regionals.

- Mount Airy has taken a whopping 677 3-point shots this season and hit 211, (31 percent).
Ellie Case leads the team with 50 trifectas.

- The Lady Bears post five players who average seven points or more per contest,
and five players with at least two steals per game.

- Mount Airy’s offense averages over 63 points per game, netting over 70 points ten times.

Coach’s one-word team description: Together

Head Coach Howard Mayo

GREENSBORO BOUND! Pair of Buzzer-Beaters Lead Lady Vikings to Sectional Championship

The dream of a 1A state championship is still alive for the Avery Lady Vikings after winning two heart-stopping playoff games. Last-second baskets at Hiwassee Dam in a 60-58 victory last Wednesday and at Robbinsville in a 68-67 overtime win last Friday night propel the Big Red to Greensboro and the Western Regional this weekend.

Avery jumped to an early lead in Wednesday’s road matchup at Hiwassee Dam High School. Hayley Pyatte paced the Big Red with the first six points for Avery as part of a 16-5 scoring run to open the contest. Hiwassee Dam rallied slightly in the final two minutes of the first period, but Avery held a 22-12 lead after one quarter.

The Lady Vikings continued to pour on the offense with an 11-5 flurry over the first three and a half minutes of the second quarter, taking a commanding 33-17 advantage. Hiwassee Dam, behind the play of team scoring leader Kareen Abling, found a way to score against the tough man-to-man defense employed by the Lady Vikings. The Lady Eagles outscored Avery 9-2 over the final 3:28 of the first half to cut the Avery margin to nine points at 35-26 at intermission.

Avery relied on its backcourt, primarily the scoring of senior guard Lauren Avery to maintain its advantage, but the Lady Eagles continued to slowly chip away at its deficit. The Lady Vikings kept a lead through three quarters, but led by only six at 48-42 going into the fourth period.

In the final stanza the Lady Eagles, led by Abling and sophomore Kayla Rose, forged a final rally to tie the contest at 51 apiece with 4:21 to play and grabbed its first lead of the contest at 54-52 with 2:39 on the clock.

Avery maintained its poise down the stretch, continuing to make the necessary plays to stay close. A three-point play helped the Big Red regain the lead at 55-54, only to see Hiwassee Dam answer on its next possession to take the lead back at 56-55 with under 90 seconds to play.

In the game’s final minute the momentum swayed back and forth. The Lady Eagles built a two-point margin at 58-56 with 40 seconds left in the game, but the Big Red scored a pair to tie the contest up at 58 apiece with just six seconds to go.

With possession and planning to take the last shot, Hiwassee Dam looked to inbound the basketball to Hiwassee’s top player Abling. Lauren Avery leaped to tip the inbound pass in the air, grabbed the loose basketball with 4.8 seconds left, dribbled the length of the court, and swished a pull-up jump shot from the left elbow as time expired to give Avery the 60-58 win and berth in the sectional final.

“In the third quarter we could feel the momentum shift when they switched to a zone defense. We tried to attack the basket and they capitalized to take the lead late in the game,” Avery head coach Missy Lyons said after the win. “We did a great job on the boards, primarily in the first half and defensively did a good job guarding the ball.”

Lauren Avery led the Lady Vikings with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals. Hayley Pyatte added ten points, with nine points and 14 rebounds from Sara Wiseman and seven points from Katelynn Eudy.

On Friday night the Lady Vikings hit the road again to the Smokies, this time to Robbinsville for a highly-anticipated contest with the Smoky Mountain Conference champion Robbinsville Lady Knights. In a nip-and-tuck contest, four quarters was not enough to determine a winner.

Avery fell behind early as Robbinsville scored the first seven points of the game. The Lady Vikings bounced back, however, as Avery shot 9 of 12 from the field in the first period to erase the Lady Knight lead and tie the game at 21-21 after one period.

Robbinsville could build a lead of no greater than two points in the second quarter as the two teams traded baskets. Avery went on a mini-scoring run helped by two Lauren Avery field goals and a bucket from Mercedes Bentley to give the Lady Vikings a 32-27 lead with 3:40 left in the first half.

Unfortunately for the visitors, Avery cooled off from the field and was unable to score a point in the remainder of the half, allowing Robbinsville to score the half’s final seven points to take a 34-32 lead into halftime.

Both teams played to a standstill through the first few minutes of the third quarter, but Robbinsville used four points from Kristi Burchfield to build a six-point edge at 46-40 with two minutes left in the quarter. Avery outscored the Lady Knights 5-2 to close the quarter, as Megan Tennant scored on an offensive rebound and basket, and Sara Wiseman added a field goal to leave Avery trailing 48-45 with one quarter left to play.

Avery was hampered all night with poor free throw shooting, while Robbinsville shot a sterling 17 of 19 from the charity stripe for the game. Free throws were the largest factor in the Lady Knights’ ability to keep up with Avery on the scoreboard, as the Big Red converted only 6 of 15 free throws in the contest.

Consecutive baskets from Bentley and Hayley Pyatte to start the final stanza put Avery back on top by a point. A short time later two second-chance baskets by Wiseman and Avery gave the Lady Vikings a four-point bulge at 53-49. Robbinsville tied the game from the foul line, and the teams exchanged baskets to remain tied.

With the game knotted at 59, Katelynn Eudy scored with just over a minute remaining to give the Vikings the 61-59 lead, but a layup from Lynsey Crisp tied the game at 61. Neither team was successful on its final offensive possession of regulation, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra four-minute session, a number of players stepped up to hit big shots for both squads. A Lauren Avery field goal gave the Lady Vikings a 66-65 lead with 1:18 to play. After a defensive stop, an Avery missed free throw gave the Lady Knights a chance to take the lead in the final 30 seconds. All-Smoky Mountain Conference point guard Tacey Trammell drove into the paint and scooped in a layup to give Robbinsville a one-point edge.

With its season on the brink, the Lady Vikings rose to the occasion for the second time in as many games when a jumper by Lauren Avery fell short of the basket. Sara Wiseman did what she was so adept at doing the entire night…offensive rebounding. The senior alertly caught the ball in the air and made a game-winning layup with 0.4 seconds left to play to give the Lady Vikings the 68-67 triumph.

Wiseman scored 16 points and was a monster on the glass with nine rebounds (eight offensive). Lauren Avery scored 14 points with seven rebounds, while the Big Red received 11 points from Katelynn Eudy, 8 points from Hayley Pyatte, and seven points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks by Megan Tennant. .

“Sara did exactly what I needed her to do by stepping up, by playing big in the post, getting offensive rebounds, and hitting big shots for us all night,” Coach Lyons said after the thrilling win. “Hayley continues to play amazingly despite her torn ACL, Elyse (Perry) is playing good, solid basketball, and our seniors are just digging in and playing awesome basketball right now.”

The win secured Avery’s second berth in the Western Regional tournament in the past three seasons and the Lady Vikings set a new school record with its 24^th win of the season.

Avery joins Mitchell, Bishop McGuinness, and Mount Airy in the regional to be played this weekend. Mitchell will meet Mount Airy at 7 p.m. at Fleming Gym this Friday night on the campus of UNC-Greensboro. Avery and Bishop McGuinness will meet in the second half of the doubleheader, slated to begin around 8:30 p.m. Winners will play Saturday at 4 p.m. for the right to play in the state championship next weekend.

Follow the Avery Journal-Times for exclusive interviews, stories, live updates, and reports on this weekend’s Western Regional tournament, with a full report of this weekend’s action in next week’s print edition.

Vikings Grapplers Complete Season at State Championships

On February 19-20, Avery wrestlers Brock Yackey and C.J. Vance advanced to take part in the NCHSAA State Wrestling Championships, held last weekend at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

Both wrestlers competed on Friday evening's opening round. Vance, wrestling in the 160 pound weight class, fell in his 1A quarterfinal match against a tough opponent in Dixon's Joey Dzurilla. Vance returned to action on Saturday and took on East Montgomery’s Matthew Reynolds. Reynolds came out on top via pinfall to eliminate Vance from the championships after a stellar conference and regional tournament performance.

Viking junior Brock Yackey was successful in his first match Friday night with a 11-1 win over Monroe's Zach Cooper. Yackey held a 2-0 lead after a takedown in the first period. Yackey earned another takedown to lead 4-0 after two periods. Brock added a takedown and gave up an escape, but earned another takedown and three back points to provide for the major decision win.

In Brock's semifinal match on Saturday he fell to Rosewood's Zach Behrend by a 4-0 decision to move into the consolation bracket. Behrend earned a takedown for a 2-0 margin after one period, the pair was scoreless in the second period, and with 16 seconds left in the match Cooper scored two back points, providing for the final margin.

At the consolation level Yackey wrestled in the semifinals and defeated Dixon's Chase Ponsock 10-3 to make the consolation finals and wrestle for third place overall. Brock earned a pair of takedowns and gave up an escape to lead 4-1 after one period. He then earned a takedown from the neutral position, gave up an escape, then earned another takedown to lead 8-2 after two periods. In the final stanza Yackey surrendered an escape when Ponsock chose the down position to start the period, but took down Ponsock a final time for the seven-point win

In the consolation finals, Yackey faced a familiar foe in Mitchell's Cody McKinney, winning a hard-fought bout 2-1 to capture the third-place medal.

Neither wrestler earned points in both the first and second periods. In the third period McKinney started from the down position and earned an escape for a 1-0 lead. Yackey shortly afterward garnered a takedown for a 2-1 advantage and held on to that margin to capture the victory.

Congratulations to C.J., Brock, and all the Avery grapplers on a great 2009-10 season.

Vikings Bow Out of Playoffs in Unfinished Bizarre Loss at Nantahala

Last Wednesday the Avery Vikings varsity boys basketball team made the three-hour journey to Macon County to take on the Nantahala Hawks in the second round of the NCHSAA 1A state playoffs.

After an evening of questionable officiating, multiple technical fouls and ejections, and a premature exit from the game officials, players and fans alike were left scratching their heads as Nantahala was awarded the victory to end an otherwise successful Avery season.

Throughout the game, held at the K-12 Nantahala School which boasted 40 high school students among its numbers, Avery found itself in an uphill battle against a talented Hawks squad as well as the men in the striped shirts.

In the first quarter Avery held its own against the up-tempo Hawks. A Dylan Eppley three-point play gave the Vikings their largest lead of the game at 7-4 just two minutes into the contest. The lead was short lived, however, as senior guard Josh Griffith and his Nantahala teammates utilized their height advantage and skill to push the Hawks ahead 15-9 after one quarter.

Avery found itself struggling to hit open shots as Nantahala used a 2-3 zone defense to stifle penetration inside by the slashing Viking ball-handlers. In turn Avery rushed a number of shots and was unable to cash in on open opportunities through the first ten minutes of the contest.

Griffith led the Hawks on a 22-5 scoring spurt over a seven-minute stretch in the first half to put the Hawks up by 20 points at 32-12, while the Avery offense went six minutes without scoring a point. The Vikings had a difficult time containing the senior guard who tallied a game-high 38 points, most coming by driving to the basket or at the free throw line. Hawks teammate Wesley Holden was also a handful for the Vikings defense, as the 6’5” center crashed the boards for 14 rebounds in the first half and converted a number of missed Nantahala shots into second-chance baskets.

Avery tried to use its defensive pressure to stay close, but the local Smoky Mountain Conference officials called tightly, whistling the Vikings for an astounding 15 fouls in the first half compared to just four for the press-defense-oriented home team.

Foul trouble mounted quickly against the Vikings. Avery spark plug Dustin Clarke was whistled for three quick fouls by midway through the second quarter, along with three assessed to teammate Timmy Stewart. Following a Joey Potter layup late in the period, Potter was issued a technical foul, counting for a fourth personal foul for the junior in the half.

With the Vikings hamstrung by fouls, the Hawks picked over a depleted Avery defense with a 10-2 scoring run in the final two minutes of the first half to lead 47-21 at intermission.

As a team with a penchant for second half comebacks throughout the season, the Vikings worked immediately to scratch its way back into the game. Avery opened the second half on a 16-7 run to cut its deficit under 20 points at 54-37 within the first three minutes of the half.

A Kody Hughes three-pointer and a Clarke field goal brought the Vikings to within 59-42 with 3:40 left in the third period, but things quickly unraveled for the Big Red. Clay Wooten built the lead back to 20 points with the second of three 3-point baskets in the period. Seconds later Dustin Clarke was whistled for a fourth personal foul, with fourth fouls assessed as well to Timmy Stewart and Kody Hughes on successive plays. A couple of trips down the floor later Avery head coach Bo Manis was assessed a technical foul disputing a traveling call on Viking forward Dylan Eppley which could have been ruled a jump ball.

Following the technical foul, Nantahala went on an 11-4 scoring run to build a 73-46 lead early in the fourth period. Avery’s 25^th team foul of the game was called at the 6:53 mark of the quarter as a charge was whistled against Clarke, his fifth foul disqualifying him from the rest of the game. The official then quickly assessed the junior guard an additional technical foul for not leaving the floor in a timely fashion. The next trip down the floor Kody Hughes was disqualified with his fifth personal foul, much to the dismay of the Viking faithful who made the trip to support the team.

Viking players, coaches, and fans were frustrated throughout the contest with what they felt was less-than-fair officiating. Five additional fouls, including a fifth foul on Potter, was assessed against Avery within a two-minute stretch, helping Nantahala take an insurmountable 80-50 advantage.

Although shorthanded, the Vikings continued to battle. Spencer Blackburn came off the bench to hit a pair of three-pointers in the quarter, while teammate Luke Pittman chipped in with six points in the second half.

With the game no longer in doubt, the frustration on the court escalated and the game situation bordered on absurd.

After free throws shot by the Hawks, one of the game officials assessed a second technical foul against Avery’s Manis, forcing the coach to leave the bench and go to the locker room. Assistant coach Reggie Oakes, upon asking for clarification on the reason for the technical foul was also given a technical foul and ordered to leave the floor. Avery’s players in solidarity stood to follow their coaches off the floor and the game officials jogged off the floor to the referees’ locker room.

After being urged to stay and finish the game by their coaches, the Viking players returned to the bench, but the officials refused to return to the floor and deemed the game over with over two minutes remaining to be played.

Dustin Clarke scored 12 points in limited action for the Big Red in the loss, with 10 points each from senior Luke Pittman and Kody Hughes, nine points from both Spencer Blackburn and senior Dylan Eppley, and four from Timmy Stewart.

“I’m proud of the players this year. They’ve worked so hard this season,” Coach Manis said following the end to his team’s season. “We began work right after the tournament back in March with open gym and they’ve been at it all the way up to this season besides the mandatory dead time in August. The kids put a lot of hard and soul into this year and it shows what hard work can do. I hope that next year the guys will continue to want to work harder to reach our goals.”

Avery ends its season with an 11-12 overall record, doubling its win total from the past two seasons combined. The Vikings lose a total of four seniors from this season’s roster, but will look to again contend for a Western Highlands Conference championship next season.

“We played right with the conference leaders and won several conference games this year. All I can do is tell our guys we can win conference next year. We have to work hard to get better as the other teams will be working hard to improve,” Coach Manis said. “By being this close this year, I believe our team will have renewed determination for next year.”