JV Girls: Avery 45, Polk 42
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 halftime.
The Lady Vikings found offense hard to come by themselves in the third quarter, connecting for only four points in the frame to allow Polk to draw to within 27-23 after three quarters.
In the final quarter 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 7 from Rigdon and 3 points from Shannon Smith. Avery forced 19 steals in the game, but committed 25 turnovers themselves, helping to keep the game closer than perhaps it should have been.
JV Boys: Avery 61, Polk 55
Avery sophomore guard Lane Smith torched Polk County for 25 points as Avery picked up its second conference win of the season Tuesday night. 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 9 points off the Viking bench as Avery and Polk were knotted at 27 at halftime.Avery seized control of the game in the third quarter, holding the Wolverines to only eight points in the frame while doubling their total with 16 in the same span. Bryce Pittman scored five points in the frame as he and Watson each netted three-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.
Varsity Girls: Avery 72, Polk 39
The Avery Lady Vikings showed little rust from not having played in almost a week by trouncing the Polk Lady Wolverines. The frontcourt duo of Megan Tennant (19) and Katelynn Eudy (17) combined for exactly half of Avery's points as the Lady Vikings won its 8th game of the season and remained unbeaten in conference play.Avery jumped out to a 23-6 lead after one quarter, shooting 10 of 20 from the field in the quarter and forcing 14 Polk turnovers in the period. Polk scored six of the first 8 points in the second quarter to cut the margin to 25-12, but The Big Red ended the quarter with a 14-2 scoring run to put the game out of reach, leading 39-14 at halftime. Tennant tallied 17 of her 19 points in the first half, while senior Mercedes Bentley scored 7 points and Savannah Dellinger added 6 points in the half.
Avery liberally substituted throughout the second half and continued to maintain and even lengthen its lead to 56-26 after three quarters and the eventual 33-point win.
Tennant added five rebounds with her team-high 19 points, while Eudy scored 17 and added 8 rebounds, 6 blocked shots, 4 steals, and 2 assists. Dellinger scored 10 points to go with 7 assists, with 8 points and 4 assists from Kelsie Clarke in the win. Kailey Russell led Polk with 9 points, with 8 points from Brittany Phipps.
Varsity Boys: Avery 76, Polk 65
The nightcap between the Vikings and Wolverines was a back-and-forth affair for much of the night before Avery clinched the win in the final minutes from the free throw line. Dustin Clarke netted 28 points, nine of which came in the final three minutes of the contest from the charity stripe on 11 shots.
Avery led 21-19 after one quarter behind 7 points from Clarke and five from center Colton Blackburn. The Vikings seized control in the second period to take a 40-30 advantage at halftime, as Benji Stewart chipped in with a pair of field goals and Spencer Blackburn netted five points off the bench.
Avery maintained its working margin in the third quarter, as a 7-2 Viking run to open the second half inflated Avery's lead to as many as 15 at 47-32. Polk outscored Avery 17-10 for the remainder of the period, but Avery led by eight at 57-49 going into the final stanza.
Polk cut the Avery lead to as little as six points on three different occasions. A Benji Stewart three-pointer early in the quarter pushed Avery ahead by nine, and free throws from Clarke in the waning minutes staved off any hope for a Wolverine rally as the Vikings won its sixth game of the season and improved to 3-1 in Western Highlands Conference play.
Clarke added six rebounds and three assists in the win, with 9 points from Joey Potter, 8 points and 8 rebounds from Colton Blackburn, 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals from Timmy Stewart, and 6 points each from Kody Hughes and Alex Villanueva.
The Vikings travel to Marshall on Friday night to take on the Madison Patriots in another Western Highlands Conference clash.
