AJT Sports LIVE FROM: Holmes Convocation Center

8:47 PM -- The Mountaineers win over the Cougars by the final score of 85-70. Sims finishes with 30 points to lead the Mountaineers. ASU evens its mark at 14-14 overall and improve to 9-8 in SoCon play. College of Charleston moves to 22-8, 14-3 in SoCon action.

8:44 PM -- Appalachian looks prepped to get the victory over CofC as only 1:04 remains to the play and the Mountaineers have maintained its dozen-point lead at 82-70.

Goudelock has been out of the game for the past minute or so, which apparently signals the Cougars throwing in the towel. Sims hits a three for 30 points for the game. Watauga's own JR Archer, Griffin Shaw, and Jacob Lail finish off the game for the final 26 seconds.

8:40 PM -- 2:17 remains in the game and ASU leads 78-68. ASU picked up two HUGE offensive rebounds on its latest offensive possession, allowing the club to run an extra minute or so off the game clock. The possession eventually resulted in a layup. Goudelock has warmed up a bit for CofC, however with 23 points, five coming in the previous minute, to keep the Cougars within striking distance.

Both teams are in the bonus on free throw shooting, and the Mountaineers have doubled up the Cougars on the offensive boards 14-7 and 36-28 overall.

8:34 PM -- With 5:14 to play, the Mountaineers have opened a 73-61 lead. ASU has shown itself to be susceptible to CofC exploiting the offensive glass, but the Mountaineers have been efficient enough offensively to maintain a working lead.

8:27 PM -- The Mountaineers have extended its lead to 68-59 with 7:40 left in the game. Sims leads all scorers with 23 points, while Goudelock is stuck at 18 points and Wiedeman has 15 points and Monroe has 10.

Charleston has dominated in the paint, outscoring ASU 32-14 for the game, but ASU has shot 53 percent for the half thus far to build its advantage.

8:22 PM -- ASU's scoring spurt moves to a 12-0 run, with a three-pointer from Booth and a basket from Sims prompting ANOTHER CofC timeout with 9:46 left to play on the clock. Sims has 21 for the game, with 13 from Carter and 12 from Booth.

8:20 PM -- ASU goes on a 6-0 run to re-take the lead at 58-54 with 10:56 to play. A steal and jam by Hausley prompts CofC head coach Bobby Cremins to take the timeout.

8:14 PM -- ASU takes a full time-out with 12:40 to play in the game and now trail 54-52. A Wiedeman breakaway dunk inside spurred on the stoppage of play. The defense has sagged a little inside at times due to the constant threat of Goudelock penetrating or shooting from outside.

8:08 PM -- With 14:45 to play in the contest, the teams are knotted at 48-48. Goudelock has 18 points for CofC, with 16 from Sims of ASU. The potential offensive fireworks between this pair of All-Conference performers has lived up to the pre-game hype. Shaping up to go down to the proverbial wire.

7:56 PM -- Halftime at Holmes. No score change, as the game remains tied at 37-37 at intermission. ASU is honoring the Southern Conference champion football team during halftime, which should inspire a nice ovation from the crowd.

Aside from Goudelock, Trent Wiedeman has seven points and six rebounds, with six points from Monroe and three from Andrew Lawrence.

The Mountaineers' Marcus Wright leads the club with five rebounds to go along with three points for the half. Neither squad has turned the basketball over a great deal for the half, with just 11 turnovers combined.

7:43: PM -- ASU takes a timeout with 21.2 seconds left in the half. The game is tied at 37 apiece, as Goudelock's scoring of late has kept the Cougars on pace with ASU. Sims has 13 points to lead the Mountaineers, with 9 from Carter and four points each from Jeremi Booth and Petey Hausley.

7:40 PM -- We're at the under four-minute media timeout and the Mountaineers lead it 34-31. Goudelock has 11 points to lead the way for the Cougars, with 10 points from Donald Sims and nine points from Omar Carter. The game has featured some good shooting as the Mountaineers are near the 50 percent field goal mark for the half.

7:28 PM -- It's now 21-20 with the Cougars leading with 7:36 left to play in the first half. Goudelock has warmed up with five points, while Donald Sims has also stroked a three-pointer in the interim.

Leading the way for the Cougars is Donavan Monroe with six points. ASU held a 9-4 lead in the opening moments of the contest before the CofC rallied.

We're LIVE at Appalachian State University's Holmes Center for an entertaining game between the ASU Mountaineers and the Cougars of College of Charleston.

We join our game already in progress, as the Mountaineers hold a 17-13 lead at the 11 minute mark in the first half. Cougars guard Andrew Goudelock has been held scoreless thus far in the game, while Omar Carter leads the Apps with four points. We'll be providing updates throughout tonight's contest! Stay tuned!

Vikings Upend Polk, Falls to Cougars in Tournament Semis

The Avery High School (AHS) varsity boys basketball team opened conference play shorthanded last Tuesday, Feb. 15, as three players were no longer with the team. The Vikings took only seven healthy players into its first round Western Highlands Conference tournament game against Polk County. Despite the thin ranks, the Vikings offense provided enough punch to defeat the Wolverines 74-61.

AHS returned to action in the tournament semifinal round last Thursday, Feb. 17, taking on top-seeded Mountain Heritage. The Cougars proved too tough to tame, as the Big Red fell 80-64.

The first quarter of the contest with the Wolverines had the makings of a shootout, as both clubs drained four three-point baskets in the frame. Mark Polsgrove connected on two of the AHS shots from beyond the arc, but the Wolverines held the slim 21-19 lead after one period.

A Polk scoring spurt was topped by a Stephen Staley layup to build a 29-24 Wolverine lead. The Vikings responded, however, with its own flurry, ended by a Kody Hughes layup. The teams ended the half as it began as the teams were knotted at 33 points apiece.

During the third quarter AHS received a boost from senior guard Dustin Clarke. The defending conference player of the year scored 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers, in the frame. As a whole, the Vikings shot more than 50 percent for the period as the Big Red took a 50-48 lead after three periods.

Early in the fourth quarter AHS put together an 8-2 spurt to build a working margin that sustained for the duration of the contest. Polsgrove connected on four baskets and nine points in the period, Clarke scored seven points (five of which from the free throw line) and Timmy Stewart added two field goals. The Viking defense took over in the waning minutes to advance the Big Red into the semifinals.

Clarke led AHS with 30 points with 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Polsgrove added 18 points, with 11 from Kody Hughes and eight from Timmy Stewart.

AHS returned to the floor last Thursday, Feb. 17, to take on top-seed Mountain Heritage. The Cougars opened the game on an 11-0 scoring run and built a 21-5 advantage midway through the first quarter, forcing the Vikings to play a game of comeback for the remainder of the contest.

The Vikings had little answer for Cougars junior guard Alex Biggerstaff, who scored 27 first-half points. AHS trailed 25-12 after one stanza.

Showing its resolve, the Vikings refused to fold, opening the second period with a scoring spurt to narrow the deficit to 26-18 early in the second quarter. Heritage opened its lead back to 15 points with baskets from Biggerstaff and center John Cannon.

AHS again cut the deficit to 37-25 near the two minute mark in the half, but Heritage drained four straight three-point baskets as part of a 14-0 run to close the half. The Cougars seized a 51-25 lead at halftime.

Clarke led AHS with 15 points at intermission, with four points from Villanueva and three points apiece from Hughes and Polsgrove.

Heritage continued to show its dominance that eventually won the team the conference tournament, leading 69-42 after three quarters. The Vikings ended the tournament on a high-note, finishing the final quarter with an 8-0 scoring run to close the margin to under 20 points and provide the final margin.

Clarke paced Avery with 25 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and a steal. Stewart was the only other Viking in double figures with 13 points, along with five rebounds and three steals.

Polsgrove tallied nine points, with six points from Alex Villanueva.

Clarke was the lone Viking on the All-Tournament team as Mountain Heritage defeated Mitchell to sweep the regular season and tournament titles.

The Vikings traveled last Monday, Feb. 21, to Hayesville to take on the Yellow Jackets, who finished in second place in the Smoky Mountain Conference. A full report on the team’s tournament performance can be found in next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

Griewisch to Run at National Championships

Lenoir-Rhyne University junior runner and former Avery High School standout Kate Griewisch (pictured, left) ran a school-record 16:45 en route to winning the 5,000-meter race on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Tyson Indoor Invitational on the campus of the University of Arkansas.


With her time, Griewisch automatically qualifies for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championships, which take place on March 11 and 12 in Albuquerque, NM at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Griewisch, a Banner Elk native, was the lone NCAA Division II runner in the race and beat Missouri State's Terry Phillips, the runner-up, by six seconds.

Griewisch has earned All-America honors in women's cross country in 2009 and 2010 and also qualified for the outdoor track and field finals in the 10K last spring.

Griewisch has also won the NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Southeast Regional race the past two years (2009-10) and won the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Championship meet.

A three-time First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honoree (2008-10), Griewisch has been named the 2009 and 2010 SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well.

Griewisch also qualified for nationals as a provisional in the 5K in and in the one-mile run.

Lady Vikings Claim Conference Tournament Championship

The Avery High School (AHS) Lady Vikings completed a perfect season against members of the Western Highlands Conference with a trio of victories last week at Madison High School.

On Monday, Feb. 14, the Lady Vikings obliterated an overmatched Hendersonville by the final score of 83-22. Megan Tennant scored a season-high 28 points in the win, with 19 points from Mercedes Bentley.

The Lady Vikings used a 15-3 run to open the second half to build a 25-point lead. The fourth quarter was a mere formality as every AHS player saw extended action in the period to close out the victory.

Last Thursday, Feb. 17, the Big Red defeated a pesky Polk County club 57-38. AHS used it interior advantage to build a 22-10 lead after one quarter. Polk rallied in the second stanza, however, outscoring AHS 15-8 in the period to draw to within 30-25 at halftime.

AHS extended its lead with a productive third quarter, as Mary Chesnut Smith scored three points in the frame, with baskets from Katelynn Eudy and Lauren Burleson that padded the Lady Viking advantage back to 43-31. In the final eight minutes of action, Avery pulled away for good with points from Bentley and two buckets from Eudy.

The AHS defense held Polk to only 13 second-half points in the semifinal win. Tennant again led the Lady Vikings with 18 points and six rebounds, with 12 points and five rebounds from Eudy, eight points from Bentley and six points from Mary Chesnut Smith.

The Lady Vikings advanced to the tournament final where, last Friday, Feb. 18, it squared off with the Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars. AHS took charge with an early lead and refused to relinquish it in earning a 60-48 win and a tournament championship.

In multiple games during the season, the Big Red has gotten off to slow starts. This championship game was a different story, however, as AHS raced to a 17-8 lead after one period. Guard Savannah Dellinger, normally a pivotal distributor of the basketball, helped the Lady Vikings set the pace with a pair of three-point baskets in the first period. Bentley added her own three-pointer, while Tennant scored six points. Burleson and Eudy chipped in with four points apiece in the second period as the Lady Vikings led 33-20 at halftime.

The two teams played even through the third period with the Lady Vikings continuing to maintain its 13-point advantage at 47-34 entering the fourth quarter. Heritage attempted to narrow the gap as Kayla Johnson and Maria Kardulis each drained a pair of three-pointers in the second half.

The Lady Vikings refused to surrender an inch, with six AHS players scoring points in the frame to push the Big Red to the 12-point win and second tournament title in four seasons.

Tennant tallied 18 points in the win, earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Eudy added 11 points, with 10 from Dellinger. Kelsie Clarke, Bentley and Burleson tallied six points apiece, with three from Smith.

In addition to Tennant’s MVP performance, Bentley and Eudy also garnered All-Tournament honors for their performances during the week.
AHS hosted East Surry in the first round of the state playoffs in the Viking Octagon last Monday, Feb. 21. A full report on Avery’s performance in the state sectional playoffs will be available in next week’s edition.

Vikings Send Pair of Grapplers to State Championships

Avery senior wrestlers Brock Yackey and Lucas Lecka advanced through last weekend’s 1A Western Regional tournament at Cherokee High School to advance to this weekend’s state championships in Greensboro.

Yackey captured the regional championship at the 135-pound weight class. He defeated Zach Caldwell of Thomas Jefferson by second period pin and won an 8-3 decision over East Surry’s Blaine Hunter to advance with an undefeated mark to the second day of competition.

In his championship semifinal round, Yackey defeated Colby Yanez of host Cherokee by a 9-3 decision, and in the championship shut out West Wilkes’ Adrian Garcia by a 7-0 decision.

Lecka punched his ticket to Greensboro with wins in his opening match by pinfall over Will Ferguson (Swain). Lecka advanced to day two with an unbeaten mark as he defeated Mitchell Abbey of Elkin by first period pin. In the championship semifinals Lecka pinned Robbinsville’s Will Grindstaff in the third period. Lecka’s hopes for a regional title fell short as Greg UpChurch of East Surry upended the Big Red mat man by a 7-2 decision.

Although the pair was the only AHS wrestlers to advance to next week’s championships, a number of other Vikings had solid performances.

Freshman Harley Rash earned two wins by pinfall at the 119-pound weight class. Devin Buchanan earned a pinfall victory at 130 pounds during the tournament. Meanwhile senior C.J. Vance won three matches in the 160-pound weight class, defeating Hiwassee Dam’s Lucas Hayes by 15-0 technical fall, winning a 6-0 decision over Alex Carter of East Wilkes and winning an 8-1 decision against Mitchell’s Jacob Hundley.

Fellow senior Kyle Greene also earned multiple victories at the tournament in the heavyweight class. Greene won a 7-0 decision over West Wilkes’ Anthony Alvarado and winning by second period fall over Cherryville’s Dylan Reynolds.

Congratulations to the Viking wrestling team, and good luck to the Big Red grapplers this weekend at the state tournament.

Sports Saturday and LIVE FROM...The Smith Center (Boston College/UNC basketball)

RECAP: Heels defeat Boston College 48-46. A last-second three-point shot is no good and UNC gets the win in grind-it-out fashion. The win is the 20th by Carolina this season, as the travels to Raleigh for its next game to play N.C. State.

Here are a few postgame notes from the press conferences:

• The 48 points are the fewest ever scored by Carolina in the Smith Center (today was UNC's 361st game in the Smith Center). The previous low was 50 against Princeton on Dec. 13, 1997, in a 50-42 UNC victory.

• The 94 combined points are the second-fewest in a game in the Smith Center. The low is the 92 scored by the Tar Heels and Princeton on Dec. 13, 1997.

• The 48 points are the fewest points by UNC in a victory since a 45-44 win at NC State on Feb. 12, 1997.

• This is Carolina's first game scoring fewer than 50 points since a 60-48 loss to Duke in Charlotte on March 8, 2002, in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

5:42 PM -- 3:49 and the final media timeout has UNC leading BC 45-40. BC, specifically Raji, has found its stroke, with the Eagles going on a 10-2 run to draw to within five. The Heels have turned the ball over multiple times in that stretch. Should be in for an interesting finish! It's about time to head downstairs for the post-game press conferences.

2:51 remains in the game with the Heels still leading by five at 45-40. We'll try to have some photos, the final score, and other stats posted later following the game.

5:33 PM  7:47 remains to play in the game and UNC leads BC 43-30. The Heels are doing a better job of getting out on the fast break. BC is shooting a woeful 10-of-43 from the field for the game, and missed 13 of its first 14 shots in the second half.

5:22 PM -- The Heels are in the midst of a 13-1 scoring run over the past five and a half minutes. The spurt has helped UNC build a 37-24 lead with 11:56 to play in the contest.

5:10 PM -- UNC has went on a scoring run thanks to Tyler Zeller's three buckets to lead 28-23 with 16:29 to play in the contest. A few moments later and we're at the first media timeout. Heels still lead it by five at 28-23. Zeller leads the Heels with 11 points and 8 rebounds, along with a block. 15:54 left to play.

4:46 PM -- It was a rough half if you are a fan of offense. UNC leads 21-20 at halftime. The Heels shot only 34 percent in the first half. BC shot only 28 percent from the field. Josh Southern scored five points to lead BC, with 4 points, 8 rebounds, and a block by the John Henson.

Hopefully the "O" will pick up after intermission. Also noticed that Carolina great Tyler Hansbrough is in town for the NBA All-Star break and is in attendance at the game.

The 26-6 NIT champion Tar Heels were recognized at mid-court in a great ceremony. Second half to begin shortly.

4:40 PM -- 3:20 remains in a first half of attrition. Both teams not shooting well from the perimeter but the Heels are up one point at 18-17. However a BC free throw after the media timeout may tie it up. UNC is honoring the 1971 NIT championship team at halftime in what promises to be a special ceremony.

Jeff Trapani leads the Eagles with 7 points, while Henson's 4 still leads Carolina.

4:30 PM -- Carolina leads14-9 with 7:06 to play in the half. John Henson went out with an apparent ankle or foot injury at the 12:09 mark, but returned two minutes later. Henson has four points for UNC, with baskets from Barnes, Zeller and Marshall, with a three point basket from Leslie McDonald.

4:20 PM -- 11:35 remains in the first stanza and the Heels lead BC 9-3. The Eagles have connected on only one shot as the Heels have built a six-point lead.

4:10 PM -- points are at a premium in the early going with the Heels leading 4-0 at the 15:24 mark of the first half. A Henson dunk and a Barnes layup are the only points thus far.

This afternoon, we are LIVE FROM...UNC/Boston College basketball. UNC easily handled the Eagles in the first meeting between the school in Chesnut Hill, Mass, and hope to make it a clean sweep this afternoon.

Joe Trapani and Reggie Jackson key the Eagles attack offensively. Carolina looks to build on its win Tuesday night in the Smith Center over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. We'll be providing periodic updates throughout the game. 

It's been a busy weekend for area athletics. Congratulations to the Avery Lady Vikings on its WHC tournament championship victory over Mountain Heritage Friday night. Mercedes Bentley, Katelynn Eudy and Megan Tennant were named to the All-Tournament Team, with Tennant taking Most Outstanding Player honors. By virtue of its season, Avery will be hosting 10-12 East Surry in the opening round of the state basketball playoffs.

The Avery boys basketball team will also compete in the state playoffs, but will be traveling to Hayesville to play the Yellow Jackets out of the Big Smoky Mountain Conference. Hayesville has won 18 games this season and finished second to Murphy in the conference race.

The Avery wrestling team was in action this weekend in Cherokee at the 1A Western Regional championships.

The event had a delay of approximately two hours due to what was deemed a "computer glitch" which inadvertently re-drew seeds and forced the first two rounds of the tournament to be completed by hand.

Congratulations to REGIONAL CHAMPION Brock Yackey and REGIONAL RUNNER-UP Lucas Lecka. Both wrestlers will travel to Greensboro to compete in the North Carolina State Wrestling Championships.