Western Highlands Conference Tournament Brackets UPDATED

Below are the updated pairings for the 2011 Western Highlands Conference Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments being held this week. The varsity tournaments will be held at Madison High School, while the junior varsity tournaments are held at Madison Middle School.

UPDATE: The Avery Lady Vikings defeated the Polk Lady Wolverines in Thursday's varsity girls tournament semifinal by a final score of 57-38. Megan Tennant led the Lady Vikings with 18 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Katelynn Eudy added 12 points and five rebounds, with 8 points and 3 steals by Mercedes Bentley and 6 points and 7 rebounds from Mary Chesnut Smith. Guards Savannah Dellinger and Kelsie Clarke combined for eight rebounds and 10 assists.

Avery will now take on Mountain Heritage in the tournament final on Friday night at 7 p.m. Heritage defeated tournament host Madison in the other semifinal to set up the showdown. An Avery comeback forced overtime in the clubs' first meeting this season in Burnsville, leading to a 67-63 Avery win. Avery took control early in the teams' second encounter in Newland, with the Lady Vikings prevailing by a 67-45 final score.
Regardless of Friday's result, the Lady Vikings will host a first-round game in next week's state playoffs.

In the boys semifinal on Thursday the Avery Vikings fell 80-64 to top seeded Mountain Heritage. The Cougars began the game with an 11-0 run and led at one point 21-5. Avery rallied to drop the lead into single digits, but the Cougars offense was too much to overcome.

Dustin Clarke paced Avery with 25 points in the defeat, with 13 from Timmy Stewart and nine points from Mark Polsgrove. Alex Villanueva scored six points, with five from Kody Hughes.

The boys team will hit the road in the first round of next week's NCHSAA state playoffs.

In JV tournament action, the Avery Lady Vikings were upset in overtime 47-45 against the Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars. The JV Vikings also fell to the Cougars, as a strong second half Heritage effort erased an Avery first-half lead.

Avery Boys v. Heritage (Conference Tournament)

6:40 PM - Heritage wins over Avery going away by the final score of 80-64. The Vikings fall to 14-9 for the season and awaits who they will face in the first round of the state playoffs on the road.

Clarke led the Vikings with unofficially 25 points in the defeat, with 13 from Timmy Stewart and nine from Mark Polsgrove. Alex Villanueva scored six points, with five from Kody Hughes.

Thanks for reading, and good luck to the Avery Lady Vikings varsity in Friday's tournament championship game.

6:25 PM -- With three quarters in the books, Heritage holds a commanding lead of 69-42. A three-point basket at the buzzer by Spencer Bishop pushed the lead over 25 points for the first time in the second half.

Eight more minutes to play in Marshall. Avery will look to finish strong. We also received word that the junior varsity girls were upset in overtime by Mountain Heritage 47-45, so it has not been the best of afternoons for the Big Red thus far. JV boys are currently playing at Madison Middle School. Update on that game if we hear word.

6:00 PM -- Avery cut the deficit to 37-25 with just over two minutes left in the half, but Heritage drained four straight 3-point baskets as part of a 14-0 run to close the half. The Cougars lead 51-25 at halftime.
Dustin Clarke leads AHS with 15 points at intermission, with four points from Alex Villanueva and three points apiece from Kody Hughes and Mark Polsgrove.

Alex Biggerstaff has been on fire with 27 first half points. John Cannon added 12, with five from Eli Buckner, three from Spencer Bishop, and two points apiece from Tyson Tomberlin and Drew Letterman.

We'll try to post second half updates as the conditions persist. We'll also post updates on the Twitter feed section of the website to the upper right of the home page.


Special thanks to Kevin Tutterow for assistance with stats at the games, as well as to Serena Smith for photography in order to provide these updates. 


5:40 PM We had a period of technical difficulty as the game began. Heritage went on an 11-0 scoring run to start the game and a 21-5 run over the first five minutes of the game. The Cougars led 25-12 after one quarter, but the Vikings staged a short rally, cutting the lead to eight at 26-18. With five minutes to play in the half, Avery trails 30-19.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM: Western Highlands Conference Basketball Tournament

5:20 PM -- Lady Vikings finish off Polk County by a final score of 57-38. Avery will move on to face either Madison or Mountain Heritage in tomorrow's tournament final, with tip time around 7 p.m.

The boys game between Heritage and Avery will begin at 5:30 p.m. We'll be covering that one here on the Blog as well. Thanks for reading!

5:17 PM -- With 1:35 to play in the game the Lady Vikings have pulled away using defense, leading by a 56-37 score. Looks good that the Big Red will advance to the tournament final to take on the winner of the game between Mountain Heritage and Madison.

5:10 PM -- With 5:57 left in the game Avery holds a 45-34 lead as Coach Missy Lyons takes a timeout. Avery has held Polk to only nine points in the second half to build its double-figure margin.

5:05 PM -- Avery holds Polk to just one made field goal and a pair of free throws as the Lady Vikings build a 43-31 lead after three quarters.

Avery has improved its rebounding in the second half with 12 rebounds as a team in the frame. Final eight minutes coming up!

4:55 PM -- Polk has burned a fourth timeout after an Avery scoring spurt makes the score 37-28 with 3:32 left in the third quarter. A steal and basket from Smith prompts Coach Culbreth to stop the action.

4:40 PM -- At halftime, the Lady Vikings lead Polk County 30-25. The Vikings have unofficially committed 10 turnovers in the first half which has helped the Polk cause.

First half Lady Vikings scoring (unofficial):
Megan Tennant:  10 points
Katelynn Eudy: 4 points
Mercedes Bentley: 3 points
Monica Estep: 4 points
Mary Chesnut Smith: 3 points
Lauren Burleson - 2 points
Kelsie Clarke - 2 points

The Lady Wolverines have utilized a zone defense for a portion of the half to defend against the Avery frontline height and ability. The Lady Vikings have nevertheless been able to get the ball inside, but have not converted on several opportunities.

Second half action after the break!

4:35 PM -- The officials are letting a lot of contact go as the Lady Wolverines have cut the lead to 28-23 with 1:46 left in the half.

4:30 PM -- Avery holds a 28-18 lead with 4:00 to play in the half. Monica Estep has four points off the bench for the Big Red, as the partisan Avery crowd is showing great spirit this afternoon.

4:20 PM -- After one period, Avery leads Polk County 22-10. Polk shot 4-for-15 in the quarter, while the Lady Vikings were  8-of-15 in the frame. Megan Tennant scored eight points in the first quarter to lead the Big Red. Second quarter action underway!

We're live at the Patriot Palace at Madison High School as the top-seeded Avery Lady Vikings tip off the day's semifinal action against the Polk Lady Wolverines.

The Lady Vikings swept both meetings between the schools, with the latest meeting in Columbus last month resulting in a 70-46 Avery victory.

We'll be here at our perch above the floor to bring updates of both this girls game, as well as the 5:30 men's game between #4 seed Avery and top-seeded Mountain Heritage.

WHC Boys Tournament Update

UPDATE #2: Avery wins 74-61 (D. Clarke 30 points, M. Polsgrove 18 points). Vikings play Mt. Heritage on Thursday.

UPDATE:  5:44 remains in the game and Avery leads 56-50 over Polk.

We're in Marshall for the WHC boys hoops tournament. All the higher seeds have advanced today, and the Vikings and Wolverines are tied at 33 as we begin the third quarter. The winner will face Mountain Heritage, who defeated Thomas Jefferson 82-60 earlier today.

We'll have an updated score later this evening.

The Carolina Basketball Experience

My work at The Avery Journal-Times over the past three short years has afforded me the great privilege to travel to a variety of venues, both near and far, for sporting events. I have had the opportunity to cover an array of sports for teams at the local high school and regional college levels.

Highlights include a trip to Chattanooga, Tenn. in 2007 to cover ASU’s third consecutive football national championship victory, as well as to Charlotte in December 2009 for the Meineke Car Care Bowl college football game. I was fortunate enough to visit Wake Forest in November 2009 to cover Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden’s final college football game in North Carolina as the Seminoles’ head coach. Then there was the high school basketball playoff game at Nantahala High School last February (a truly unforgettable experience). I also traveled last spring to Chapel Hill for the UNC spring football game and a baseball game where the Heels faced rival N.C. State at the newly-renovated Boshamer Stadium.

On Sunday, Feb. 6, I had the opportunity to visit a location of great personal significance when I ventured to Chapel Hill to cover a pair of college basketball games (Editor’s Note: This is the point where the Duke and N.C. State fans reading can either continue reading with disdain, or check out another page of the sports section.)

On a cloudless Sunday morning my equally exuberant photographer Meredith Stewart accompanied me from Durham over to Chapel Hill to cover the day’s hoops action, beginning with our neighboring Milligan College’s junior varsity team taking on the UNC Tar Heels JV squad.

My associate Matt Laws, who covers Cloudland athletics for The Avery Journal-Times, also works as Sports Information Director at Milligan College. Matt was kind enough to help line up credentialing, (although I was later told at the venue that since junior varsity games are so sparsely attended, most media members are allowed to attend JV games with little prior notice).

Late during the week preceding the trip east, I contacted the UNC Athletic Communications Office to inquire about covering the UNC men’s basketball game against Florida State, which followed the JV game on Sunday. Steve Kirschner and his staff at Carolina were extremely helpful, providing writer and photographer passes to cover the game on short notice.

Also, in an instance of the “small world” maxim, upon our arrival at the Athletic Communications Office, Meredith and I had the pleasure of meeting long-time staff member Terry Roberts, who went to college at Western Carolina University and had once worked in Linville Falls. He shared several memories of his times around Avery County and the High Country. We spoke for several minutes about the area and he was more than happy to assist us in any way he could.

Most everyone who knows me or has read many of my past columns are aware that I spent four years at UNC as a student and was awarded a bachelor’s degree. During those years there weren’t many home basketball games that I missed.

I was in attendance at the Smith Center on Jan. 27, 1993, when the home crowd proved to be anything but what Florida State guard Sam Cassell once called a “wine and cheese crowd,” as the Tar Heels overcame a 21-point second-half deficit to the Seminoles and earned a five-point win. A little more than two months later I jumped through bonfires with thousands of ecstatic fans on Franklin Street when UNC defeated Michigan to capture the 1993 NCAA men’s basketball championship.

On another occasion, I recall my college friend Dean Jones and I getting second row student seating behind the UNC bench for an ACC game against Wake Forest. We subsequently painted our faces and cheered as enthusiastically as we could in order to demonstrate our immense team spirit. Besides the experience, the memorable portion of the evening occurred upon returning to the dorm room. We had received more than a half-dozen answering machine messages—messages that shared how we had unknowingly received a television close-up and was commented on by the ESPN broadcasters covering the game.

In the years after graduating from Carolina, I’ve only had the chance to attend a couple of games, and those occurred the season after my graduation. Needless to say, the experience of covering a Carolina basketball game as a member of the working media is something I have wanted to do for a long time. Attending the game truly was an honor, as well as one of those special occasions in which a sportswriter only occasionally has the opportunity to participate.

From my vantage point on press row, the Tar Heels won both the JV game over Milligan and the ACC game over Florida State. At the conclusion of the games, Meredith and I journeyed to the packed media room for the post-game interview by UNC head coach Roy Williams. Following the press conference, we walked to a nearby lounge, where multiple players arrived from the adjacent locker room for newspaper and television station post-game interviews.

“It was an amazing opportunity to be able to see Coach Roy and a few of the elite UNC players face-to-face. It helped to remind me that, although they are often viewed as larger-than-life heroic figures, they are humans, too,” Meredith told me later of the experience. “They get tired, sweat [a lot] and sometimes they may even be a little overwhelmed by the magnitude of the expectations thrust upon them. This team has impressed me by showing heart, camaraderie and an unexpected humility on the court and off—that is one of the many reasons why I am proud to be a Tar Heel.”

The accessibility to the Tar Heels who inspire deep emotion in countless fans (either love or hate), was a one-of-a-kind occurrence. I look forward to more visits to “The Southern Part of Heaven,” and hope to share more of them in future Musings.

Varsity Hoops Conclude Regular Season

In the final night of the regular season for both teams, the Avery (AHS) varsity basketball teams had a lot to play for.

Having already clinched the Western Highlands Conference (WHC) regular season title with its win over Mountain Heritage, the AHS Lady Vikings was playing for a perfect 14-0 conference record when it rolled into Ledger to take on the pesky Mitchell Lady Mountaineers.

Meanwhile the AHS varsity boys needed a win over Mitchell to solidify a No. 2 seed from the 1A portion of the conference, virtually cementing the Vikings a home game for the opening round of the upcoming state basketball playoffs.

Both AHS clubs fell behind by double-digit second half deficits on Mitchell’s Senior Night to rally and eventually force overtime. However, the teams came away with mixed results. The Lady Vikings dominated the overtime session to defeat Mitchell 63-52. For the boys, a season-high 43 Dustin Clarke points were not enough to deter the Mountaineers as it defended home court and defeated AHS 91-84.

Lady Vikings Roars Back to Down Mitchell
Head coach Dawn Lowe’s Lady Mountaineers came out with something to prove, as the reigning conference tournament champions played the Big Red tough. AHS held a 12-11 lead after one stanza. Senior Mary Chesnut Smith connected on a pair of field goals in the quarter to help put the Lady Vikings in front.

The tables turned in the second period as the Lady Mountaineers took a 22-21 lead into halftime. Senior shooting guard Lyndsay Jensen was the catalyst for the Mitchell offense with 11 first-half points, as the Lady Mountaineer defense held AHS standout junior center Megan Tennant to only two first-half points.

For the Lady Vikings, Smith and fellow senior Katelynn Eudy worked inside to pick up the scoring responsibility, combining for 11 points.

As the second half ensued the Lady Vikings had trouble hitting shots, converting on 3-of-10 attempts in the third period. Eudy helped keep the Big Red within striking distance with four points in the quarter. Mitchell continued to score with the ball, however, as Katie Atkins scored seven points and teammate Ashley Greene poured in five to help propel the home team to a 39-28 lead.

A three-point basket by Jensen with 4:33 to play in regulation helped Mitchell match its largest lead of the game at 42-31. For the remainder of the period, the Lady Vikings took over. A steal and layup by Smith sparked the Big Red rally, followed up quickly by a pair of three-point baskets from senior Mercedes Bentley, which cut the margin to 43-41 with 2:40 remaining.

The Lady Vikings continued to pressure the Mountaineers as it attempted to stall and run time off the clock. The pressure resulted in eight turnovers committed by Mitchell, which AHS seemed to continually capitalize upon. A third basket from Bentley with 49 seconds left drew the Lady Vikings to within 47-46, while Tennant’s only field goal in the final two periods of regulation tied the game at 48-48 to force overtime.

AHS was 8-of-10 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and made 5-of-8 attempts from the field to draw even.

As overtime began the Lady Vikings took the momentum of the previous four minutes and decimated the foul-plagued Lady Mountaineers. Tennant was unstoppable inside with a pair of baskets, while teammate Kelsie Clarke built upon the four free throws she made in the final minutes of regulation by adding a field goal and three additional free throws in overtime. In all, AHS scored eight of the first nine points of overtime to build a 56-49 lead that it never relinquished. The Lady Vikings were 9-of-12 from the free throw line in overtime to seal the win, while holding Mitchell to 1-of-5 shooting from the floor in the extra session.

Bentley led the Lady Vikings with 16 points, with 13 points and six rebounds from Eudy. Clarke added 11 points and three assists, with eight points apiece from Smith and Tennant. Tennant added 11 rebounds while Smith hauled in five boards.

AHS finishes the regular season with an overall record of 18-5, with a 14-0 mark in conference play and winners of 13 straight games and 18 of its last 19 contests.

Vikings Defense Falters in Seven-Point OT Defeat
For the first quarter of last week’s varsity boys contest, the Mountaineers and Vikings played to a virtual standstill, with the score knotted at 17 apiece. AHS senior guard Clarke paced the Big Red with five points on what would become a recurring theme.

Mitchell used a 14-3 scoring run over the first 3:40 of the second period to build a 31-20 lead. AHS rallied to outscore the Mountaineers 14-9 for the remainder of the half as Clarke netted 21 points by intermission. However, 14 points in the half from Mountaineer counterpart Corey Greene led the way for Mitchell to take a 42-34 halftime lead into the locker room.

In the third period the Mountaineers answered every AHS basket with a shot, usually a short shot or layup, of its own. Clarke netted four field goals in the quarter, while senior teammate Kody Hughes netted five points in the frame.

Mitchell converted nine field goals from inside 15 feet in the third quarter, however, as the Mountaineers took a 61-49 lead into the fourth period.

AHS roared back into contention in the final quarter of regulation behind a blistering 12-of-20 shooting display from the field. Clarke scored 10 for the quarter, while teammates Benji Stewart and Joey Potter each helped key the rally with three baskets apiece. Mitchell converted only 8-of-15 free throws in the period, opening the door for the Viking comeback. An offensive rebound and putback by Potter narrowed the deficit to 77-75 with 39 seconds left in regulation, and a 10-foot bucket from Clarke with 19 seconds left tied the score at 77 to force the extra session.

The frantic and furious rally seemed to take a lot out of the AHS club, as the Vikings could only make 3-of-10 shots in the four-minute overtime period. In the meantime the Mountaineers caught its second wind. Greene netted a pair of baskets, with a bucket each from teammates Ben Smith and Matt Vaughn to build an 85-79 lead.

Over the final 1:30 the Vikings sent the Mountaineers back to the free throw line, where the squad made 6-of-8 shots to clinch the win.

Clarke led all scorers with 43 points on 16-for-38 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 shooting from the free throw line. The defending conference player of the year added 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

Potter was the only other Viking in double figures with 14 points, while teammates Alex Villanueva and Hughes chipped in with nine points each and Benji Stewart added seven points.

Greene finished the contest with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists to lead Mitchell, with 25 points from teammate Ben Smith. Troy Self scored 16 points, with 13 from Lawson Norris.

“It was a critical game that we needed to win. Now we have to go out and win the tournament to get second place back. All we can do is work and get better from there,” Vikings head coach Bo Manis said after the game. “We’re capable of going out and winning the tournament, it’s just a matter of pulling together.”

The Viking boys squared off against Polk County in the opening round of the conference tournament last Monday, Feb. 14, while the Lady Vikings took on the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats in the first round of the girls tournament.

Full coverage of the WHC tournaments can be found in next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

ASU Mountaineers Hoops Roundup

Appalachian State University (ASU) men’s basketball fended off 14 Samford three-pointers to pull out a 65-59 win over the Bulldogs last Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Holmes Center.

The Mountaineers scored 36 points in the paint, shot nearly 50 percent from the field and committed a season-low five turnovers in the all-around solid effort.
Donald Sims led the Mountaineers (11-13, 7-7 SoCon) with 20 points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists and helped seal the victory with ASU’s final four points of the night. The senior shot 7-of-15 from the field with a pair of three-pointers.

ASU sank 11-of-21 attempts from the field in the second half despite missing all five long-range attempts and sank six of its last eight foul shots to preserve a second-half lead. ASU trailed by eight points early in the game but rallied to take a 34-30 lead at intermission.

ASU then piled on early in the second half to bulk up its advantage to double figures with 17:32 remaining in regulation. Samford (12-13, 4-9) then cut its deficit to one point at 50-49 midway through the period. The Bulldogs never made it all the way over the hump as ASU maintained a single-digit lead the remainder of the game.

Omar Carter tallied 19 points, giving him 15 or more in each of the last five outings. Splitting time between the perimeter and post, Carter sank 8-of-15 attempts and hauled in four rebounds in the victory.

Samford’s potent outside attack was led by Andy King’s 21 points and six three-pointers off the bench as well as Josh Bedwell’s 15 points and eight rebounds. Bedwell sank 4-of-9 three-point attempts.

Jeremi Booth added nine points and five rebounds while starting forward Andre Williamson gave the Apps eight points, four boards and a huge blocked shot with just 27 seconds left in the game and a slim four-point lead. The junior was 4-of-6 from the field and also dished out an assist.

Mitch Woods matched Sims for the team lead with six rebounds and scored a crucial layup down the stretch to cap off a late six-point Mountaineer run.

"I'm pleased with it — it's three in a row, I'm happy — but at the same time there is room for improvement," said ASU head coach Jason Capel, "I am pleased with the steps we are taking. You want to be playing your best basketball in February heading into March, and I think we are heading in that direction."

The win boosted ASU’s home record to 6-2 on the season and moved the team to one game behind Western Carolina for second place in the SoCon North.

A 14-point run midway through the second half broke a tie and put ASU ahead of Chattanooga for good last Saturday, Feb. 12, in a 78-68 win at the Holmes Center.
Carter scored 10 points during the stretch and finished with a game-high 22. The junior also led ASU with seven rebounds to accompany three assists.

Once the Mountaineers (12-13, 8-7 SoCon) gained the first double-figure advantage of the game, the home team held it to the final horn for double-figure margin of victory in ASU’s four-game winning streak.

Sims scored 13 second-half points to finish with 19 on the night. He added six rebounds, four assists and two steals. The senior sank 6-of-11 field goal attempts as ASU sank 15-of-29 shots in the second half to finish the night with a 49.1 field goal percentage, including a 10-of-25 mark from downtown.

Considering Chattanooga played in a tight contest the night before at Western Carolina, the Mocs (14-13, 10-5) started strong out of the gate. Ricky Taylor knocked down his first three shots from downtown for a quick nine points to give Chattanooga a pair of six-point leads in the early going. ASU rallied back, however, as the lead changed hands eight times before UTC gained a 32-31 advantage heading into the break.

Petey Hausley sank 6-of-10 shots off the bench for 12 points, one shy of his career high, along with three rebounds for the Mountaineers. Booth added nine points—all via three-pointers—in addition to four rebounds.

The Mountaineers held a 35-33 advantage on the glass and turned nine offensive rebounds into nine second-chance points. ASU also turned 16 UTC turnovers into 16 points and scored 22 points in the paint.

Anthony Breeze returned to the floor for the first time since suffering an injury on Jan. 29 at College of Charleston. The junior played eight minutes in the second half during the ASU surge.

Starting his fourth-straight game, Marcus Wright knocked down all three shot attempts for eight points and two rebounds, while Williamson added six points and six rebounds in the win.

ASU closes out its three-game homestand at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 17, when Western Carolina visits the Holmes Center.

LMC Sports Roundup

Men’s Basketball Take Court for Trio of Matchups
Reggie Hopkins poured in 22 points to lead four Royals in double figures, as the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team held off a second-half rally by Lees-McRae College (LMC) en route to a 70-60 win in Conference Carolinas play on Monday, Feb. 7.

Queens (15-5, 11-1 CC) shot an even 50 percent for the game, including a 52 percent clip in the first half, while holding LMC to a 38.8 percent mark from the floor.

Sam Youse paced the Bobcats with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, as Reshon Benjamin and Tevin Friday each tallied 10 markers. Adam McFerran chipped in seven points, while Gerry Hairston added a game-high four assists.

After Queens opened the game with a 5-0 run, the Bobcats answered with a spurt of their own, launching an 11-3 surge to take an 11-8 lead on a Friday jumper with 13:24 to play in the half. The teams would battle back and forth over the next five minutes before Queens took control, closing out the period on a 17-6 run to take a 36-25 lead into intermission.

Queens held the advantage for the remainder of the game, pushing the lead to a game-high 16 points with just more than four minutes to play, and holding off a late Bobcat run to preserve the victory.

Daniel Sepokas scored 13 of his game-high 20 points in the second half to lead the Lees-McRae College men's basketball team to a 64-56 win over Erskine College last Thursday, Feb. 10, in Conference Carolinas play.

LMC (6-14, 2-10 CC) shot 49 percent from the field on the night, including a blistering 57.1 percent (12-of-21) in the second half, while holding Erskine (2-17, 1-11 CC) to a 43.5 percent clip overall. The Flying Fleet edged the Bobcats by a 32-30 margin on the glass, including a 20-17 advantage on the defensive boards, as LMC converted 19 miscues into 25 points.

Sepokas knocked down 7-of-9 attempts from the floor, including a 2-for-4 clip from beyond the arc, en route to his game-high total of 20 points. McFerran and Hairston joined Sepokas in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively, as Sepokas dished out a game-high four assists.

Four Knights scored in double figures, and the St. Andrews Presbyterian College men's basketball team out-rebounded Lees-McRae College by a 47-24 margin en route to an 87-78 win in Conference Carolinas play last Saturday, Feb. 12.

St. Andrews (12-10, 8-6 CC) shot an even 50 percent from the field in the game, including a 62.1 percent clip in the first half, while holding LMC (6-15, 2-11 CC) to a 42.4 percent mark on the afternoon. The Knights won the battle on the glass by a 47-24 margin, including a 35-16 advantage on the defensive boards, while outscoring the Bobcats 34-24 in the paint.

McFerran and Dairl Scott, Jr. led the Bobcats with 16 points each, while Friday and Hairston added 11 and 10 markers, respectively. Sepokas chipped in five assists as Scott tallied a team-high five rebounds.

LMC returned to the hardwood on Tuesday, Feb. 15, when the Bobcats hosted Limestone College to continue their conference schedule.

Softball: Bobcats Split Twin Bills with Bears, Eagles
The LMC softball team continued its strong start to the season last Monday, Feb. 7, splitting a doubleheader with Shaw University as the Bears rallied for a 9-8 extra-inning victory in game one before the Bobcat offense exploded for a 15-3 rout in the night cap.

LMC (3-1) scored 23 runs on 26 hits in the twin-bill, including 15 tallies on 17 base knocks in the night cap, while holding Shaw (1-3) to 12 runs on 13 hits. Lindsey Huntsinger continued to swing a hot bat in the early season, going 5-for-8 in the twin-bill with four RBI to lead a group of six Bobcats with multi-hit days.

Paige Coleman and Kim Coley paced the Bobcats with five RBI each on the day, as Coleman joined Huntsinger, Anna Carter and Laurel Gregg with one home run apiece. Carter and Coley each tallied four base knocks on the afternoon for the Bobcats, while Karli Robb recorded a team-high two triples.

Gregg (1-1) got the nod in game one, allowing six runs (two earned) on five hits in six and two-thirds innings of work. Magen West (2-0) earned the win in the night cap, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out four Bears. Hollie Crickenberger threw an inning of relief in game two, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits.

LMC opened the scoring in the top of the third inning, pushing across three runs on a Coley RBI single, a Bear error and a one-run double by Huntsinger to take an early 3-0 lead. Shaw answered in the bottom of the frame, plating three runs of its own to knot the score at 3-3 on a two-run home run by Lafrades and an RBI double by Grimmage.

The Bobcats countered with two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to reclaim a 7-4 lead, as Coley roped a two-run single in the fourth and Carter delivered a two-run shot in the fifth. Shaw rallied with a run in the fourth and two in the sixth, cutting the lead to 7-6 heading into the seventh inning.
LMC added to its total in the seventh, taking an 8-6 advantage on an RBI single by Meagan Knowles. The Bears would rally once again, scoring twice in the seventh on a two-run home run by Montgomery to send the game into extra innings. Shaw then produced the deciding tally in the eighth when Pledger reached on a Bobcat error, allowing Jolene Arroyo to score the winning run.

LMC rebounded to split a doubleheader against Carson-Newman College last Tuesday, Feb. 8, rallying to defeat the Eagles by a score of 13-6 in non-conference action.
LMC (4-2) continued its strong start to the season, rebounding from a 10-2 setback in game one to defeat the Eagles (2-2) by a score of 13-6 in the night cap.

Huntsinger continued her hot run to open the season, going 3-for-5 with her second round-tripper of the season, as she helped pace the Lady Bobcats to a 13-6 victory in game two of the double-header. Knowles added a 1-for-2 performance, crossing the plate three times with a triple and three walks on the day.

West took the ball in game two, pitching six solid innings and scattering 11 hits to hold the Eagles to just six runs, and earn her third victory of the season.
Eagle pitcher Mary Shealy took the circle for game one and hurled a gem, spreading four hits over five innings while allowing two runs in the opener.

The Eagles opened the scoring in the home half of the first, piecing together a two-out rally to plate a run and taking the early 1-0 lead when Shealy doubled home Bre Shoemake after a two-out walk. The Bobcats battled to close out the inning with just a one-run deficit.

The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the third when the Eagles rallied to plate four runs on four hits, and followed it with a four run fourth to push the total to a 9-0 lead after four innings.

In the top of the fifth, Knowles opened with a walk and moved to second after a Lori Fulmer sacrifice bunt put her into scoring position. Robb followed with a two-out double to plate Knowles to cut the deficit to 9-1. Robb scored on a Huntsinger single to make it a 9-2 Eagle lead.

The Eagles closed out the contest in the bottom of the inning, piecing together a two-out rally to plate the game-winner, as Shealy crossed to earn the 10-2 victory.

The Bobcats opened game two picking up where they closed game one, matching their final inning tally by plating two runs to take the early 2-0 advantage at the end of the first when Gregg singled home two runs on a one-out shot to right field.

The Eagles cut the deficit in half in the home portion of the inning, plating a run when Shoemake singled up the middle. Carson-Newman tied the contest in the bottom of the second with a run on three hits to even the tally at 2-2.

In the top halves of the third and fourth innings, the Bobcats pulled away with three runs, grabbing the lead with a Huntsinger blast to right in the top half of the third. The Bobcats added two more in the top of the fourth frame, plating Alison Armstrong and Knowles to take a 5-2 advantage.

The Eagles rallied in the bottom half of the fifth inning, plating three runs to even the tally at 5-5. The Bobcats then pieced together their best inning of the day with an eight-run sixth. Kierstie Moon opened the inning with a single to right before taking second on a passed ball. Following walks to Robb and Huntsinger to load the bases, Coley laced a double to right-center to clear the bases and push the advantage to 8-5.

Knowles then cleared the bases for a second time in the inning, lining a triple to right-center to plate Anna Carter, Armstrong and Gregg, and scampered home on an Eagle error to tally the 13th and final run. West closed out the home half of the inning allowing one-run on two hits and stranding one on base for the complete game victory.

Junior Varsity Hoops Roundup

The Avery High School (AHS) junior varsity basketball teams wrapped up regular season conference play last Tuesday, Feb. 8, with a pair of games in Ledger against the Mitchell Mountaineers.

JV Girls Lose First Regular Season Game in More Than Five Years against Lady Mountaineers

Not since Feb. 7, 2006, has the Avery Lady Vikings junior varsity girls basketball team tasted defeat in a Western Highlands Conference regular season game. The Lady Mountaineers from Mitchell snapped the streak in its matchup by the final score of 45-37 as both teams prepare for the season-ending conference tournament this week.

AHS fell behind 9-6 after one quarter and trailed 28-20 at halftime. The freshman guard duo of Katie Ridgon and Bre Heaton accounted for 15 of AHS’s 20 first-half points.

As the second half ensued, the Lady Vikings found itself in a physical game with a number of players in foul trouble. By game’s end a pair of starters fouled out as the team worked to stage a comeback.

The Lady Mountaineers relied on the duo of Burleson and Phillips to supply scoring punch, as the duo accounted for 30 of Mitchell’s 45 total points.

AHS outscored Mitchell in the third period, but only by a 9-8 margin as the Big Red found itself trailing 36-29 entering the final seven minutes of play.
In the final frame the Lady Mountaineers built its lead to double figures, but the Lady Vikings managed to cut the deficit to as little as six points. Mitchell was not to be denied, however, holding the potent Lady Vikings club to only 37 points for the game.

Heaton paced AHS with 10 points and three steals, with nine points from Rigdon and six points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks from Haley Woody.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for the Lady Vikings, who suffered its first setback since a loss late in the 2005-2006 season to the Lady Cougars of Mountain Heritage.

“It seems like every time we have a game on a day that we don’t have school, the girls play a little more lackadaisical, but we never got it together today,” Lady Vikings head coach Pat Daniels said after the rare defeat. “We were dysfunctional from the start, and even though they played hard we didn’t get any breaks. Not blaming anything on the officials, but it might have been a little closer if we’d had decent referees who knew what they were doing out there. But credit Mitchell, they kept the ball in the hands of their two guards. They played really hard tonight and we just didn’t play up to our capabilities.”

Despite the loss, the Lady Vikings planned to use the loss as motivation to work hard last week in practice and prepare itself for the Western Highlands Conference JV tournament played this week at Madison Middle School.

“These girls are really disappointed tonight and every one of them were crying and upset, but I told them losing is part of the game and that we have play hard through the good and the bad. I told the girls we had a bad night but that it was a good team effort. We did some things out of character for us, and I love every one of them and wouldn’t blame them for a thing,” Daniels said. “Mitchell played hard throughout and our girls never gave up from start to finish. They were pumped and ready for us tonight, but Amber Young is my favorite coach in the conference as far as being friendly and personable. I consider her a real friend as a coach and if I had to lose, I couldn’t think of a better coach to lose to than her.”

JV Boys Picks Up Road Win, Tournament Momentum
Coming off a tough one-point loss at home against Mountain Heritage the previous week, the AHS JV boys team bounced back up off the canvas and delivered a knockout punch to the rival Mountaineers with a 52-37 comeback win.

AHS trailed 11-6 after one quarter of action, as Lane Smith scored a pair of baskets, only to be countered by Dylan Forbes, who paced the Mountaineers with three baskets in the frame.

The Vikings turned the tables in the second period, outscoring Mitchell 18-8 in the seven minute span to turn a five-point deficit into a five-point lead at 24-19 at halftime. Bryce Pittman tallied five points in the quarter, with five points from Daniel Childress and four from Chance Watson.

As the second half began AHS matched the intensity and effort of its opponent. In doing so, the Vikings extended its lead to 35-27 going into the final quarter.
Down the stretch of the final seven minutes, the Vikings needed to sink free throws to maintain its lead and maintain the advantage. AHS responded with connecting on 9-of-14 shots from the charity stripe, while a pair of baskets from Pittman and hoops from Smith and Luke Wotell sealed the 15-point triumph.

Pittman led the Big Red with one of his better scoring performances of the season, ringing up a team-high 13 points. Smith was the only other AHS player in double-figures scoring 12 points. Wotell scored seven in the win, with five apiece from Childress and Ty Polsgrove.

AHS took an extended break as it completed the regular season. Tournament play began on Monday, Feb. 14, and continues through this Friday, Feb. 18, at Madison Middle School and Madison High School.