Junior Varsity Hoops Roundup
Last Tuesday, Jan. 4, the Avery junior varsity basketball teams were a perfect 2-for-2 to start the new year, picking up a pair of conference victories over visiting Polk County.
JV Girls Behind a game- and career-high 29 points from Bre Heaton, the Lady Vikings held off a late charge by Polk County to win 45-42.
Avery trailed 13-10 after one quarter, but Heaton scored 10 of Avery's 13 points in the second quarter, while the Lady Viking defense held Polk to only two points in the second quarter, helping Avery to a 23-15 lead at half-time.
The Lady Vikings also found offense hard to come by in the third quarter, connecting for only four points in the frame to allow Polk to draw to within 27-23 after three quarters.
Between quarters Avery head coach Pat Daniels challenged his team to focus and pick up the effort in order to emerge victorious.
“I told the girls to take care of the ball and run our plays and keep the ball in the middle of the floor. When we kept the ball in the middle we did a better job of not committing turnovers,” Daniels said. “The girls responded and got the job done.”
In the final period, Avery made a run to start the quarter to open as large as an 11-point margin, as Heaton and guard Katie Rigdon combined to score 13 of Avery's 18 points in the final stanza. Polk didn't quit, however, drawing to within three points as time expired.
Heaton's 29 points were complemented by seven from Rigdon and three points from Shannon Smith.
“Bre had a good game,” Daniels said. “She shoots the ball well and that’s something I expect from her. We have a good pair of guards in she and Katie who can score the basketball.”
Avery forced 19 steals in the game, but committed 25 turnovers themselves, helping to keep the game closer than perhaps it should have been.
“We made some dumb turnovers during the game. We did some things we didn’t need to do here and there, especially when we had the lead,” Daniels said. “I really was ill about the turnovers because we can handle 10 or 12 turnovers, but 25 were just too many. They were a tall team and got a lot of second-chance points on rebounds. I feel like we helped Polk out an awful lot tonight, but I think we did a good job at key times to force turnovers. All our guards are working well. When we had trouble getting the ball inside tonight, the guards did a good job to pick up the pace and scoring.”
JV Boys
Avery sophomore guard Lane Smith torched Polk County for 25 points as Avery picked up its second conference win of the season by the final score of 61-55.
Avery led 14-12 after one quarter as Smith and teammate Luke Wotell scored six points apiece in the frame. Chance Watson and Stetson Stafford combined for nine points off the Viking bench as Avery and Polk were knotted at 27 at half-time.
Avery seized control of the game in the third quarter, holding the Wolverines to only eight points in the frame while doubling that total with 16 in the same span. Bryce Pittman scored five points in the frame as he and Watson each netted 3-pointers during the quarter to help the Vikings to a 43-35 lead after three periods.
In the final stanza, Avery maintained its lead at the free throw line. Smith scored nine of his 11 points in the quarter from the charity stripe, while Watson added three field goals to hold off a late Polk charge and earn the six-point win.
Watson scored 13 points as the only other Avery player in double-figures. Pittman and Wotell each scored eight for Avery in the win.
Avery’s JV games scheduled for last Friday, Jan. 7 at Madison were postponed due to snow. The games have been rescheduled with JV girls action tipping off at 2 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 15, followed by the JV boys game. JV games slated for Tuesday, Jan. 11, were also postponed.
