AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM...SAMFORD/ASU MEN'S BASKETBALL

8:40 PM -- with 26 seconds to play, Andre Williamson makes a huge block on a Kaylin Johnson layup attempt. Two failed three-point attempts later by the Bulldogs and a Sims rebound later, and the Mountaineers pull off the 65-59 win over the Bulldogs. Sims finishes with 20 points in the win, with 19 by Omar Carter. ASU improves to 11-13 while Samford falls to 12-13. That's the story from Boone as it's another win for the home team. Thanks for reading!

8:35 PM -- Samford takes a timeout after a King three-pointer with 1:11 to play cuts the lead to 63-59. The Mountaineers may have to make one more big basket to put this game on ice.

8:30 PM -- The final media timeout of the game with 3:42 to play and ASU has a 63-56 lead.

8:26 PM -- ASU holds a 61-56 lead with 4:52 to play in the game. Sims has 16 points, with 19 from Carter as the only Mountaineers in double-figures. King's 18 off the bench leads the Bulldogs, with 15 points from Josh Bedwell. Still anyone's game at the Holmes Center as the Mountaineers look to pick up win No. 11.

8:20 PM -- The Mountaineers lead, but only by a pair at 55-53 with 7:19 to play in the game. Omar Carter has played big for the Apps in this one with 17 points, while Donald Sims has 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals. Samford has taken a whopping 25 three-point shots in the game, more than double ASU's 12 attempts. The Bulldogs have made 12 of those three-pointers to stay in the game.

8:10 PM -- 11:46 remains in the contest and the Mountaineer lead has been trimmed to two points at 48-46. Andy King of Samford is a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, and 5-for-5 from three point range, with 18 points total. ASU is still paced by 15 from Carter and 14 points by Sims.

8:05 PM -- The Mountaineers star the second half strong, building a 10-point lead, but the Bulldogs have cut the advantage to 46-40 with 14:21 to play in the game. Sims has 14 points for the game, but Carter leads the Apps with 15 points total on 7 of 13 shooting. The Mountaineers are shooting 51 percent for the game, while Samford is 15 of 31 for a 48.4 percent clip.

7:42 PM -- At the half, ASU uses an 14-4 run to take a 34-30 lead into halftime. A Sims three-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer moves ASU from down six to up by four at the half. Carter has 13 and Sims has 10 points at intermission to lead the Mountaineers. Josh Bedwell leads the Bulldogs and all scorers with 16 points at intermission.

We'll have second half action in a few minutes!

7:38 PM -- Samford takes a quick timeout at the 2:58 mark as ASU reeled off two straight baskets to cut the lead to 26-24.

7:35 PM -- 3:53 remains in the first half and the Bulldogs lead 26-20. Samford has already attempted a dozen three-point shots in the half, while ASU has put up eight from downtown.

Josh Bedwell has 13 to lead the Bulldogs, but was shaken up just prior to the media timeout. Carter has 11 to lead the Mountaineers.

7:27 PM -- Samford leads 24-18 at the second media timeout. Short time between the first two stoppages but ASU continues to work the ball inside. About 20 seconds pass and there is yet another media timeout. 6:37 remains in the first half and the Mountaineers are still down by the six-point margin.

7:20 PM -- 8:59 is left in the first half and Samford leads 22-16. Andy King has 9 points to lead the Bulldogs and Josh Bedwell has 11.
ASU is led by nine points from Omar Carter, with three from Donald Sims.

7:15 PM -- Samford is shooting the three-pointer as is their reputation, scoring each of their first 9 points by way of the triple. With 10:06 to play in the first half, the first stoppage of the game comes with an ASU timeout. In essence the teams have played almost ten straight minutes on the clock without a whistle...quite unusual. Two media timeouts are forthcoming at some point. Samford leads 20-14.

7:00 PM -- Getting ready for tipoff here on "Celebrate Watauga" Night at the Holmes Center. Watauga County residents were allowed to purchase tickets at a discounted rate for this evening's game, and from the appearance of the crowd, it looks like several folks took advantage of the offer.

We're at the Holmes Convocation Center on the campus of Appalachian State University for this evening's Southern Conference contest between the Samford Bulldogs (12-12) and the ASU Mountaineers (10-13)

The Mountaineers enter tonight's game on a two-game winning streak, having defeated UNC-Greensboro and Elon in back-to-back road games last week.

ASU seeks a season sweep over the Bulldogs after defeating them 78-69 in Alabama back on December 4th. Omar Carter paced the Mountaineers with two double-doubles on the week and averaged 21.5 points and 11 rebounds in the wins. The junior ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding for the season.

Donald Sims scored the 2,000th point of his career at Elon and is one of fewer than 500 players to reach the milestone in NCAA Division I history.

Samford travels to the High Country after a 56-50 win at Georgia Southern last Saturday. The Bulldogs are 2-4 away from home in league play, with the other win coming at UNCG in early January.

Jeffery Merritt leads the squad with 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. On the offensive end, more than half of the Bulldogs field goal attempts have come from downtown on the season (53 percent) where the squad makes 35.5 percent of its attempts. Josh Davis leads Samford from beyond the arc with 44 three-pointers on the season.

SU is holding opponents to a 41.3 field goal percentage, the lowest in the SoCon this year.

We'll be bringing updates throughout the contest here at the Blog, with tipoff at 7 p.m. Thanks for reading!

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... FLORIDA STATE-NORTH CAROLINA Men's Basketball

UPDATE: Several photos from Sunday's game have been added to this post, so it has been re-posted for viewing purposes. 

4:02 PM -- It's over in Chapel Hill and the Heels take the win decisively by an 89-69 final score. The UNC reserves saw action in the final minute as the chant of "We Want Duke" rose from the Carolina student section.

UNC vs. Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium this Wednesday night should be a great contest!
Kendall Marshall finishes the game with a whopping 16 assists!

Thanks for reading, and look for a complete writeup in this week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

3:55 PM -- final official time out of the game as the Heels hold an 80-63 lead at the 3:26 mark. A number of fans are leaving the arena as they feel this one is in hand. We hope to post  photos from the game later this evening. Special thanks to my colleague and Milligan College SID Matt Laws, my photographer Meredith Stewart, as well as Steve Kirschner and staff with the UNC Athletic Communications Office for their assistance. Heels lead by 17 looking to close things out.

3:50 PM-- 4:15 remains in the game as a timeout is called by FSU. UNC outscores the Noles 14-9 since the last media timeout, capped by a long two-point bucket by Henson. UNC builds its largest lead at 80-62 over the Seminoles.

3:42 PM - the under 8 minute timeout comes with 7:33 left to play and the Tar Heels hold a 66-53 advantage. Tyler Zeller has come alive with a pair of baskets, but a three-pointer as the shot clock expired by Kendall Marshall ignited Carolina following a 9-0 run by the Seminoles that cut the UNC lead to 57-50 at the 10:59 mark.

FSU has multiple players with at least 3 personal fouls which might play a factor down the stretch if Florida State wants to cut into the NC lead. Carolina has four players in double-figures, led by Zeller with 14 and Strickland with 13 points.

3:31 PM -- Official timeout at 11:59 on the clock with UNC leading 57-46. Henson has five points in the second half as Carolina has been aggressively attacking the basket on the FSU bigs inside. lots of time left for the Noles to mount a comeback, however.

3:26 PM -- Carolina holds a 57-41 lead and a great assist by Marshall leads to a Zeller hoop and foul. The Heels hold its largest lead of the game at 16 with 13:59 left to play in the game.

3:19 PM -- First media timeout in the second half with 15:43 to play and the Heels lead 50-39. A Strickland three-pointer, along with a dunk from Henson and a bucket by Barnes boosts Carolina to its 11-point lead. Energetic crowd in the arena this afternoon.

2:57 PM -- Heels lead 43-34 at halftime. A field goal at the buzzer from Derwin Kitchen cut the lead under double figures at intermission. Dexter Strickland leads UNC with 10 points in the half, with 7 points from Harrison Barnes, six from Kendall Marshall and Justin Knox, with five points each from Zeller.

Okaro White leads Florida State with 8 points, with six points each from Bernard James, Michael Snaer, and Derwin Kitchen.

2:49 PM -- 2:16 remains in the half and the Heels make a run following an FSU spurt to build its lead back to 38-29. FSU had cut the lead to as close as 31-27, but a 7-2 run has padded the Carolina cushion. Dexter Strickland has been a spark plug for the Tar Heel offense with 10 points in the first half. Heels are shooting 50 percent (15-of-30) for the half thus far.

2:45 PM -- UNC scores four straight to build a 31-21 lead, forcing FSU coach Leonard Hamilton to take a timeout. Heels 10-pt margin matches its largest of the game thus far. 5:42 remains before halftime.

2:38 PM -- Media timeout at 7:49 left in the half. UNC leads 26-17. A rim rocking dunk by Barnes brought the crowd to its feet. Tyler Zeller picked up a second personal foul for UNC just prior to the media timeout. The Heels have been strong on the glass thus far, keeping an athletic Seminoles team off the boards for the most part thus far. Barnes, Zeller, and Strickland each have five points for Carolina thus far.

2:31 PM -- FSU takes a timeout as it trails 20-10 with 10:49 to play in the half. A three-point play by Harrison Barnes excited the crowd as the Heels have doubled up the 'Noles.

2:26 PM -- Tar Heels lead 14-8 over Florida State. Leslie MacDonald has added a three-pointer, with baskets from Strickland and Henson to push UNC out front. Okaro White has a bucket for FSU as 11:54 remains in the first half.

2:15 PM -- First media timeout at 15:46 and the Heels hold a 7-4 lead. A Marshall 3-pointer and buckets from Dexter Strickland and Harrison Barnes helps the Heels to the early lead.

2:00 PM We are LIVE in Chapel Hill at the Dean E. Smith Center for this afternoon's huge ACC hoops matchup between the Florida State Seminoles and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. The UNC JV team defeated Milligan College in the JV men's game earlier this morning 86-61.

Today's game pits the Tar Heels and the Seminoles in a battle for second place in the ACC standings. The Blue Devils currently sit atop the standings, and with the rivalry game between Dook and Carolina looming in Durham on Wednesday, UNC must remain focused on the task at hand this afternoon and not overlook a very talented Seminoles team.

The Tar Heels have won four games in a row and nine of their last ten after beating Boston College 106-74 on Tuesday night. Florida State has won five of its last six games and is coming off of an 85-61 win over Wake Forest on Tuesday night at home. This game is the second in a four-game stretch of four games (three on the road) in 12 days. Carolina will travel to Duke and Clemson next Wednesday and Saturday. Carolina leads the series with Florida State 40-10 but the Seminoles have won two straight, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive Carolina victories. Carolina is 13-4 in the Smith Center against FSU. Carolina will be playing in its 14th Super Bowl Sunday game and is 8-5 in such games. This will be the third meeting between the two teams on Super Bowl Sunday in the last five years (Carolina is 2-0 in those games).


Fox Sports Net has the TV coverage, as well as radio coverage on the Tar Heel Sports Network. We'll be providing updates throughout the game from the Dome. 

Milligan falls to Tar Heels in Junior Varsity Roundball Action

The Milligan College Buffaloes (MC) junior varsity basketball team did something last weekend that many dream of and few are fortunate enough to accomplish: play a college basketball game inside Chapel Hill’s famed Dean E. Smith Center.

MC made the three-hour-plus road trip last Sunday, Feb. 6, to take on the junior varsity Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina (UNC). Despite a strong second half effort, a total of 19 MC turnovers and a pair of UNC scoring spurts in each half proved too strong as the Buffaloes fell by an 86-61 final score.

MC hung tough in the early going, but a UNC run late in the first half propelled the Tar Heels to a 44-21 lead at halftime.

Despite the deficit, the Buffaloes continued to battle, holding UNC to only six points during a stretch midway through the second half to cut the deficit to 61-48 with 6:35 to play in the game. A late Tar Heel run boosted the lead back more than 20 points to close out the contest.

North Carolina solidified its lead late in the second half, and ended the game on a positive note, after Cardona and freshman guard Rohan Smith hit back-to-back three-pointers to re-energize the UNC bench as time wound down.

Smith finished with 12 points, trailing only sophomore guard Patrick McPhail, who led the home team in scoring with 18.

Freshman forward Denzel Robinson added a double-double, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Tar Heels out-rebounded the Buffaloes 57-37.

“We came out of the gates really strongly, having the adrenaline of playing in the Dean Dome for the first time, but that eventually wore off. We got into a hole in the first half that was just too much to come back from,” Milligan head coach Aaron Collazo said after the game. 

“In the second half, we could have easily just given up and enjoyed the fact that we were playing in the Dean Dome, but our guys played hard and played together to make a run that would cut it down to 13 midway through the secnd half. They were hitting tough shots on their end against what I thought was much better defense than I saw from us in the first half. If we could have played that way in the first half, I have no doubt we would have been in that game in the end. We played 20 really competitive minutes of basketball and I was very proud of the way my team responded after being down in the first half.”

Lady Vikings Basketball Capture Conference Championship

The Avery Lady Vikings (AHS) swept a trio of opponents in home games last week. AHS routed the Madison Lady Patriots and West Wilkes Lady Blackhawks early in the week.

The team concluded the week with a decisive victory last Friday, Feb. 4, on Senior Night over second-place Mountain Heritage, clinching the first Western Highlands Conference (WHC) regular season championship for the school since 1996.
Early in the squad’s contest against Madison, the Lady Vikings struggled to find the basket, as multiple shots from inside were off target. The Big Red did manage to knock down six shots in the first stanza while holding the Lady Patriots to only three made field goals as AHS led 17-9 after one quarter.

AHS found its groove in the second period, outscoring Madison 27-8 in the frame to pull away for a 44-17 halftime margin.
A 12-2 scoring run to open the second half removed all doubt from the outcome as the Lady Vikings led by 40 at 65-25 by the end of the third quarter and cruised to the win.

Mercedes Bentley dropped in 13 points to lead the Big Red, with 12 points apiece from Kelsie Clarke and Megan Tennant. Katelynn Eudy posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds as every player on the Lady Viking roster scored in the win.

The following evening the Lady Vikings returned to the court for a non-conference contest against the West Wilkes Lady Blackhawks inside the Viking Octagon. The Lady Vikings had difficulty getting into an offensive rhythm early against a pesky West defense, but AHS pulled away in the third quarter to post a 58-46 triumph.

West hung around early on the Big Red with its inside height and scrappy play. Shots were not falling in the first quarter for the home team, yet the Lady Vikings battled through the adversity to hold a 16-14 lead after one period.

West guard Caitlyn Kilby helped the Lady Blackhawks stay within striking distance with six points in the first half, but the Lady Vikings started to get in sync late in the half. Bentley drilled a pair of three-point baskets in the second quarter, while Lauren Burleson came off the bench to pour in 10 points in the half. The offensive spark helped the Big Red extend its slim lead to 32-26 at halftime.

The halftime speech by Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons should be bottled up and saved for future use, as the AHS club looked like a different ball club. AHS exploded for 20 points in the period while holding West to only three baskets for the same stretch. Bentley scored seven in the frame to push the advantage to 52-33.

In the final eight minutes the Lady Blackhawks attempted a comeback, but the Lady Vikings would have none of it as the team won going away.  Bentley scored 15 to pace AHS, as Burleson and Tennant each tallied double-figures.

In the regular season home finale, AHS had an opportunity to clinch the first WHC regular season championship under the guidance of Lyons as the team hosted Mountain Heritage. The Lady Cougars was primed to ruin AHS’s perfect conference record in the last meeting between the clubs, but a missed free throw late in regulation forced an overtime session where the Lady Vikings earned a tough four-point win.
The margin on Senior Night was not as close, as an inspired group of Lady Vikings built a double-digit lead late in the first half, built on it further in the third quarter and earned another championship banner with a 67-45 victory.

In the opening stanza the Lady Vikings trio of Bentley, Eudy and Tennant dominated play. Bentley drained a pair of three-pointers, while the frontline duo scored in the paint to stake the home team to a 14-10 lead after one stanza.

AHS opened a double-figure lead using its defensive pressure. The Lady Vikings forced 16 Heritage turnovers in the first two periods and held the Lady Cougars to just five made field goals through two periods. Tennant scored six points in the second quarter and 11 for the half, with 10 from Bentley to propel the Big Red to a 29-17 halftime advantage.

As the second half ensued, the play on the court became physical. Both clubs had been assessed more than 10 personal fouls before the fourth period began, and the clubs combined to shoot 26 free throws in the third period alone.

The Lady Vikings not only survived the physicality of its opponent, it thrived on it, scoring 25 points in the third quarter to race out to a 54-35 lead entering the final eight minutes of action.

The second-chance baskets that supported the Lady Cougars upset bid in Burnsville were non-existent in the rematch, with AHS successfully crashing the boards consistently throughout the contest.
In the true team manner of play indicative of the Lady Viking season, six different AHS players scored points in the final period to finish the 22-point blowout win.

With a commanding lead late in the game, Lyons allowed the home crowd to show its appreciation to the team’s seniors, as she substituted each of AHS’s three seniors individually. Bentley, Eudy and Mary Chesnut Smith each received a loud ovation of support from the capacity Viking faithful.
Bentley led AHS with 17 points, three rebounds and three assists. Tennant dropped in 15 points with eight rebounds, with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds from Eudy. Burleson scored nine points, with five each from Clarke and Savannah Dellinger and four from Smith.

AHS concluded its regular season schedule by traveling to Ledger to take on Mitchell on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and enters next week’s conference tournament with the top seed.

Vikings Wins Pair, Falls to Cougars on Senior Night

The final full week of the high school basketball regular season was a busy one for the Avery (AHS) Vikings varsity boys basketball team, defeating Madison 96-85 on Tuesday, Feb. 1, and West Wilkes 80-47 on Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Last Friday, Feb. 4, the Vikings honored assistant coach and senior Ethan Buchanan and the seven AHS senior basketball players prior to its game with Mountain Heritage. Unfortunately for the Big Red, it was the Cougars from Yancey County that packed the offensive firepower in ruining the Viking regular season home finale by a 70-53 final score.

The Vikings led 26-16 after one period and exploded for 33 points in the second quarter alone to put the game out of reach, leading 59-34 at halftime. Avery built its lead to as many as 30 points early in the third period, but Madison scrapped back with the help of the three-point shot to draw within 14 points at 78-64. Avery would quell the comeback quickly, however, extending the lead back to more than 20 points before the Viking coaching staff played reserves for the final three minutes of the win.

Five different Vikings reached double-figures, led by Dustin Clarke who scored 21. Colton Blackburn followed closely behind with 20 points, with 17 from Timmy Stewart, 11 from Joey Potter and 10 from Alex Villanueva.

The victory came in the first game back coaching for Avery head coach Bo Manis, as he and his family had been out of town for the previous four games due to the passing of the coach’s mother-in-law.

“The first thing that stood out and impressed me most was seeing my beautiful wife and daughter,” Vikings head coach Bo Manis said after the win. “I am proud of family and what we’re building with these young student-athletes.”

The next evening the Vikings took the court for a make-up game against non-conference foe West Wilkes. It was a retro night for the Vikings, as the boys varsity team wore the uniforms worn by the 1995-96 team, the jerseys the team’s head coach wore when he was a standout for the Big Red.

AHS started slow in the contest, as the West 2-1-2 zone defense made it difficult for the slashing guards of the Viking offense to penetrate into the paint or the base line. AHS held a 17-12 lead after one period and increased its margin to double digits at 32-22.

The coaching staff made a number of successful adjustments in the locker room that helped Avery gain control.

“We worked on getting our players in better rebounding position. When we executed that in the second half, that’s when the momentum changed,” Manis said after the win. “I think they were a better team than what we saw last time. They’re well coached and they always improve, but we were just more talented than his roster.

The adjustments proved to be the perfect elixir, as the Vikings took a 54-35 advantage into the final eight minutes. Potter helped spark the Big Red offense with 10 points in the frame. The athleticism of the AHS club proved too much for West to overcome as Avery took an 80-47 win.

Four players scored double-figures again for the Vikings in the win, led by Clarke with 18. Potter, Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart scored 10 points apiece.

Last Friday, Feb. 4, AHS honored senior basketball players Colton Blackburn, Dustin Clarke, Kody Hughes, Mark Polsgrove, Joey Potter, Benji Stewart and Timmy Stewart prior to the boys game. In addition to the players, the Vikings honored one senior who serves as an assistant coach in Ethan Buchanan. The team also welcomed special guests from the fifth and sixth grade recreation league basketball program coached by head coach Stephanie Pritchard.

Despite the great emotion, AHS could not come away victorious in its Senior Night matchup, as visiting first-place Mountain Heritage came to town, and led early and often en route to a 90-73 win.

Heritage fired on all cylinders early on, hitting on 8-of-14 shots in the first period, including four three-point baskets to take an early 22-6 lead. AHS scored the final four points of the quarter but still stared at a deficit of 12 points at 22-10.

AHS relied on its own long distance shooting to stay in the game. Clarke drained a pair of three-pointers as the Vikings shot 50 percent from the field (9-for-18) in the second period. The Cougars continued to shoot the ball well themselves, as nine points in the quarter from college prospect John Cannon helped maintain Heritage’s edge and give the visitors a 43-30 lead.

The Cougars put the game away for good with a 25-point third quarter, hitting on 5-of-7 shots from three-point range during the stretch. The Vikings scored a respectable 18 points in the frame, but Heritage still extended its lead to 68-48 with eight minutes to play.

Several Viking reserves saw playing time in the final stanza as the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.

Dustin Clarke led all scorers, tallying 34 with 11 rebounds and four steals in his last regular season game at the Viking Octagon. Colton Blackburn and Kody Hughes scored seven each in the defeat.

“This group of seniors has meant a lot to me, as they are one of the reasons I enjoy coaching. Individually, I’ve grown to have a bond with each of the players that separates them from other athletes. I hope we can continue to share a friendship after they leave high school. For the most part they are good role models for the younger guys as well,” Manis said. “They’re a special group of young men that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

AHS traveled to Mitchell on Tuesday, Feb. 8, to close the regular season, and will begin Western Highlands Conference tournament play at Madison High School next week.

Vikings Finish Wrestling Duals, Trio Captures Conference Tourney Titles

The Avery (AHS) wrestling team wrapped up the regular season with two home conference dual meets, defeating Mountain Heritage and falling to Mitchell in meets held at Avery Middle School last Tuesday, Feb. 1. The team competed last Friday, Feb. 4, at Polk County in the Western Highlands Conference championships.

Three seniors, Brock Yackey, C.J. Vance and Lucas Lecka, emerged as conference champions, while two other grapplers, Devin Buchanan and Kyle Greene, finished as tournament runners-up.
AHS defeated Mountain Heritage 54-27 in the team’s first dual meet last week. Winners for the Big Red included Brennan Clark (103 pounds), Buchanan (130 pounds), Zac Freeman (135 pounds), Yackey (140 pounds), Josh Gragg (145 pounds), Vance (160 pounds), Nathaniel Buchanan (189 pounds), Lecka (215 pounds) and Greene (heavyweight).

The Vikings did not fare as well in its second match of the evening, falling to the Mitchell Mountaineers by a 51-24 final match score.

Victors for the Big Red included Lecka (215 pounds) with a first period pinfall, Greene by a 5-0 decision in the heavyweight class, Harley Rash by first period pinfall at 119 pounds, Devin Buchanan by second period pinfall at 130 pounds and Vance by a 6-5 decision at 160 pounds.

The conference wrestling tournament was a great evening for the three Viking seniors who have provided leadership for the team all season long, as the veteran wrestlers saw the fruits of their labor in the form of a tournament championship.

Yackey captured his title in the 135-pound weight class. He began the tournament with a 9-2 decision win over Madison’s Jarrett Ipox. In his second match, Yackey defeated Owen’s Joe Turman by 7-0 decision to reach the tournament final. In the championship, Yackey defeated Polk’s Silvestre Ramirez by disqualification in the finals to win the championship.

At the 160-pound class, Vance earned a first round bye and faced Polk’s Tyler Keller in the semifinal, winning the match by 12-1 major decision. In the championship round, Vance earned a 5-2 decision win over Madison’s Erik Norton to bring home the winning medal.

Lecka was victorious in the 215-pound weight class tournament. He began his evening with a win by pinfall in only 10 seconds against Owen’s Taylor Early. Lecka then defeated Polk’s Jairo Nevarez by first period pin to reach the tournament finals. In the championship match, Lecka defeated Madison’s Lucas Garrett by first period pinfall, completing a dominating performance.

Buchanan reached the finals in the 130-pound weight class after pinning his first two opponents. A defeat to Mitchell’s Sejiro Littleton forced Buchanan to settle for the silver medal finish.

Greene earned his runner-up finish after defeating Mountain Heritage’s Kyle Carlson in the semifinal. Polk wrestler Tyler Philpott was victorious over Greene in the final to win the championship in the heavyweight class.

Clark (103 pounds) and Rash (119 pounds) captured fourth place finishes to give the Vikings an impressive seven wrestlers with top-four finishes in the tournament.

AHS returns to the mat Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18 and 19, for the Western Regional tournament at Cherokee High School.

AHS Junior Varsity Roundup

The Avery junior varsity teams (AHS) finished another busy week of basketball action in the final week of the regular season. The teams hosted three foes in Madison on Tuesday, Feb. 1, West Wilkes on Wednesday, Feb. 2 and finished the week with Mountain Heritage coming to town on Friday, Feb. 4.

Lady Vikings One Win from Another Perfect Conference SeasonThe Lady Vikings rolled to victory over all three of its opponents last week. On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the Big Red destroyed the Madison Lady Patriots 84-15. AHS led 24-6 after one period, held a 46-8 lead at halftime and rolled to the victory.

Every Lady Viking player scored at least three points and eight different players recorded at least three rebounds in the win. The squad was led with 16 points from Taylor Hobbs and 15 from Bre Heaton.

“We were on and they were off through the game. Each player was hitting on all cylinders, shooting, rebounding. The girls played awesome,” Lady Vikings head coach Pat Daniels said following the win.

The next night the Lady Vikings met a tougher foe in West Wilkes, rallying for a 65-32 win.

Daniels shook up the lineup, starting a group consisting primarily of players who have served in a reserve role for most of the season. West shot well in the opening period and seized advantage, leading 15-7 after one stanza. AHS rallied in the second quarter, bouncing back to tie the game at 23-23 at halftime.

In the third period AHS took charge, outscoring West 27-7 in the period to take a 50-30 lead into the final six minutes and cruised to a 33-point win.

“West is a much improved team than the first time we played them,” Daniels said after the game. “At halftime I told the girls that evidently West Wilkes were a better team than earlier in the year, and that if they wanted to win they’d have to go out there and earn it. We stepped it up in the third quarter and took over.”

Heaton scored 22 points with three assists in the win, while Katie Rigdon netted 12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, two steals and a pair of assists. Jessie Ramsey scored seven points with six rebounds, while Sela Pittman and Hobbs dropped in six points apiece.

In the final contest of the week the Big Red was seeking a 10th straight conference win against the league’s second best team, the Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars. AHS finished the home schedule in style with a 54-41 triumph.

The Lady Vikings trailed 21-15 after one quarter but rallied to lead 30-26 at intermission before pulling away in the second half. Hobbs poured in 17 points, 15 in the first half with the help of four three-point baskets, to go with nine rebounds to lead the Big Red, with 15 from Heaton. Pittman scored seven points with five rebounds, while Rigdon scored all six of her points on free throws in the final quarter to go with six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

“Taylor stepped up big for us tonight. Kenzie Thomas had a number of steals and played great defense, and Sela played a big game inside,” Daniels said after the win. “I’m pretty sure we’ll see either this team and/or Polk County in the tournament coming up.”

Vikings Fall to Patriots, Defeat Blackhawks, Lose Nail-Biter to Cougars

A wide gamut of emotions was experienced by the AHS JV boys team this past week. On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the Vikings fell 45-26 to the Madison Patriots. The following evening AHS roared back with a strong showing, beating West Wilkes soundly by a 68-37 final score. In the team’s closest contest of the week, AHS was narrowly defeated by the Mountain Heritage Cougars 57-56 last Friday, Feb. 4.

With AHS trailing by only six points at 18-12 at halftime, a 16-5 third quarter run by the Patriots sealed the Vikings’ fate in the conference matchup. Only five AHS players registered points in the defeat, led by nine points from Luke Wotell.

“The biggest thing against Madison was that we didn’t come to play,” AHS head coach Reggie Oakes said following the loss. “Coach Gregory had his kids ready and we didn’t match their intensity the whole game.”

The Vikings showed its resilience and ability to respond to adversity in thumping the Blackhawks from West Wilkes. A 15-0 scoring run to open the game got the Vikings off to a strong start, while a 20-9 scoring edge in the third quarter from AHS put the contest far out of reach.

In the rout Bryce Pittman paced the Big Red with 11 points, while Daniel Childress added 10 points. Ty Polsgrove and Lane Smith chipped in eight points each.

“At their place we spotted them a 9-0 run and we were down 16 at one point and came back to force overtime. Even though we lost that game, we built off that with the defensive pressure and press that we used, so we basically used that again in the rematch. We used pressure, forced steals and turnovers and converted those into layups,” Oakes said of the win. “We did a much better job getting the ball inside with Luke Wotell and Payton Lowery. Lane played well and Bryce stepped up huge and showed great leadership. Coming off the loss to Madison, the players took it upon themselves to rally.”

Heritage raced out to a 15-6 lead after one quarter in the conference matchup to close out the week. A 20-point second period drew the Vikings back within single digits at 33-26 at halftime.

The Cougars again raced out to a double-figure advantage to open the second half, but an AHS scoring run to close the quarter, paced by six points from Polsgrove and four from Smith, drew the Big Red to 43-40 with one quarter to play.

AHS regained the lead early in the fourth quarter before the teams exchanged baskets down the stretch. A key steal and two converted Heritage free throws with less than 10 seconds to play proved to be the game-winner as a last-ditch shot from AHS’s Smith missed its mark.

Smith was one of three Vikings in double-figures, scoring 19 points. Wotell added 12 points, with 10 from Polsgrove.

“I felt we didn’t match their intensity early. At halftime my friend Gordon Polsgrove who coached almost every one of our players came to the locker room,” Oakes said. “He spoke to the team asking if they wanted the win more than the other team, and he told them he was disappointed in their lack of effort. I agreed with him 100 percent and reiterated what he said. We made some adjustments in the second half and pressed more. Unlike the first meeting, the press actually got us back into this game. If we play with the intensity in the first half that we played with at the end, we win that game.”

AHS concluded the regular season Tuesday, Feb. 8, with the short trip to Ledger to face Mitchell. Both JV teams compete next week in the Western Highlands Conference JV tournament held at Madison Middle School.

LMC Sports Roundup

Men’s Basketball: Falcons Hold Off Bobcats, LMC Upends Johnson and Wales

The Pfeiffer University men's basketball team shot 64 percent in the second half en route to a 105-89 shootout victory over Lees-McRae College (LMC) last Wednesday, Feb. 2,  in Conference Carolinas play.

Pfeiffer (8-10, 6-4 CC) posted a 55.4 percent field goal percentage, including a 63.6 (21-for-33) percent clip in the second half, while knocking down 11-of-26 attempts from three-point range. The Falcons edged the Bobcats (4-13, 1-9 CC) by a 34-31 margin on the boards, including an 11-9 advantage on the offensive glass, while converting 15 LMC miscues into 25 points. LMC shot 59.6 percent for the game, including a 68.8 percent clip in the second half.

Sam Youse paced the Bobcats with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a 3-for-7 night from downtown, to lead four LMC players in double figures. Adam McFerran poured in 19 markers on 7-of-10 shooting, recording the 1,000th point of his collegiate career, while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds. Daniel Sepokas and Tevin Friday chipped in 17 and 11 points, respectively, as Sepokas dished out a game-high five assists.

Five players scored in double figures for Pfeiffer, led by Jeff Pettiway's game-high 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Reggie Hollinger poured in 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, while Chris Woods and Josh Humphrey chipped in 17 and 16 markers, respectively. Humphrey also posted a game-high nine rebounds for Pfeiffer, as Elijah Matthews added 11 points.

Sepokas  and Dairl Scott, Jr. each tallied 12 points to pace the Lees-McRae College men’s basketball team to a 79-44 victory over Johnson and Wales University last Saturday, Feb. 5.

Youse added 10 points for the Bobcats (5-13) as he connected on two of three attempts from beyond the arc. Leading the Wildcats (0-23) was Rodrick Latimer with a game-high 13 points.

LMC traveled back to Charlotte last Monday, Feb. 7, to take on Queens University of Charlotte in a Conference Carolinas matchup.

This Thursday, Feb. 10, both women’s head coach Sebastian Wild and men’s head coach Scott Polsgrove will coach barefoot in support of Samaritan’s Feet when the Bobcats host Erskine. The doubleheader tips off at 5:30 p.m. with the women’s contest, with the men’s game to follow.

Softball: LMC Sweeps Fayetteville State to Open Season

The LMC softball team opened the 2011 season in impressive fashion, sweeping a doubleheader against Fayetteville State University on Sunday, Feb. 6, by scores of 4-0 and 8-2.

LMC (2-0) posted a .250 batting average on the day, scoring a combined 12 runs on 13 hits while holding the Broncos (0-2) to two tallies on 10 base knocks. The Bobcat pitching staff also struck out a combined 13 batters on the day.

Lindsey Huntsinger paced the Bobcats with a 4-for-6 day, including three base hits in the night cap, while tying Paige Coleman, Kim Coley and Anna Carter for the team-high with two runs batted in. Coleman, Coley and Kierstie Moon each tallied a pair of base knocks on the day, as Huntsinger recorded a trio of stolen bases.

Laurel Gregg tossed a two-hit shutout in game one, fanning eight batters in six innings of work to notch her first career win at LMC. Magen West followed in the night cap, allowing one run on four hits in five innings of work to earn the victory. Freshman Hollie Crickenberger pitched a total of three frames on the day in relief, allowing one run on four hits and striking out three Broncos.

LMC got on the board early in game one, pushing across the season’s first run when Moon drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice by Huntsinger.

The Bobcats doubled the lead on a Coley RBI single in the fourth that scored Coleman from second. Meagan Knowles scampered home on a passed ball in the fifth to push the lead to 3-0 before Huntsinger scored on a sacrifice fly by Coleman in the sixth to cap the scoring.

In game two, the Bobcats took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Moon scored on a wild pitch, and Huntsinger stole third and scored on a Bronco error. Fayetteville State answered in the bottom of the inning, cutting the margin in half when Quristeen Brown doubled home April Branch to cut the lead to 2-1.

LMC responded in the third, pushing across two runs when Coleman reached on a Bronco error, allowing Huntsinger and Karli Robb to score and widen the margin to 4-1. The Bobcats then broke the game open in the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits and a Bronco error to push the lead to 8-1. An RBI double by Huntsinger and a two-run two-bagger by Carter highlighted the inning for the Bobcats.

Fayetteville State showed some fight in the late innings, stranding a runner in scoring position in the sixth before Ashley Wlezen singled home Olivia Peavey after Peavey stroked a lead-off double in the frame. Crickenberger then shut the door, recording a pair of strikeouts with runners in scoring position to quell the rally.

LMC returned to the diamond last Monday, Feb. 7, when the Bobcats traveled to Raleigh to take on Shaw University in a non-conference doubleheader.

ASU Mountaineers Hoops Roundup

Omar Carter sank two free throws with 25 seconds remaining in overtime to break a tie and propel Appalachian State University men’s basketball to an 80-78 win at UNC Greensboro last Wednesday, Feb. 2, at Greensboro Coliseum.

Carter accomplished the same feat in regulation as ASU (9-13, 5-7 SoCon) trailed by two with around a minute left. The pair of shots knotted the game at 68-68 as each team missed shots on their final possessions. The contest was back-and-forth all night with 16 lead changes and 17 ties. Including the extra period, neither team led by more than three points for the game’s final 18 minutes.

The overtime period was a thriller in itself with three lead changes and four ties. The Spartans (4-17, 4-7 SoCon) opened the extra frame with a layup resulting from an errant jump ball. Marcus Wright then sank a three-pointer for his only basket of the night and followed with a free throw to knot the game at 72-72.

Donald Sims then gave the visitors a 78-76 edge on a layup with 1:50 to play. Kyle Randall then tied up the game with a layup on the other end with 44 ticks left on the clock. Carter then drew a foul while driving to the basket on the other end and sank both fateful free throws. The junior then blocked a Randall shot attempt at the other end with 10 seconds left, knocking the rebound to Andre Williamson, who was immediately

fouled.

After both free throws rimmed out, the rebound was tipped out of bounds in UNCG’s favor for one final possession. Jeremi Booth defended Brandon Evans for the final eight seconds, whose jumper from the right side fell short at the buzzer.

Carter anchored the ASU offense with 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting. The junior recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 of ASU’s 46 rebounds.

Sims chipped in 23 points on 9-of-22 shooting to boost his career point total to 1,998. He added six rebounds and dished out a team-best five assists. Booth also reached double figures with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting and a 4-of-5 mark from the charity stripe.

Evans finished with a double-double for UNCG, notching 17 points and 11 rebounds. Aloysius Henry came off the bench to lead the home team with 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting to accompany eight boards. His output accounted for the bulk of UNCG’s 36 bench points.

Randall added 10 points, six of UNCG’s 13 assists and five of the team’s 38 rebounds on the night.

Sims scored a team-high 17 points, including the final three of the game to ice a 68-62 win at Elon last Saturday, Feb. 5, at Alumni Gym. His first two points of the game pushed him over the 2,000-point mark for his career as ASU won its second-straight game.

A relatively tame first half gave way to a wild back-and-forth second period as the Mountaineers (10-13, 6-7 SoCon) clawed back from an eight-point deficit early in the second half to tie the game with six minutes remaining, 52-52.

Mitch Woods then gave ASU the lead for good with just his second three-pointer of the season with 3:07 remaining, 61-59. Following an Elon foul shot, Andre Williamson added to a one-point advantage with a layup off of a spin move in the paint for a 63-60 lead.

Elon’s (10-14, 4-9) Chris Long responded with a jumper to pull within 63-63 with around a minute remaining before ASU ran the clock down on the other end to 30 seconds. With a few ticks left on the shot clock, Omar Carter pulled up on the left baseline and sank a jumper to give ASU a safer 65-62 advantage.

Long then missed a three-pointer 20 seconds later, with Williamson winning the rebound. He passed to Sims, who was fouled with 10.3 seconds on the clock. Sims knocked down both free throws to increase the lead to two possessions. Following a quick Phoenix miss, Sims grabbed a rebound and sank one more free throw to provide the final margin.

Sims was 4-of-16 from the floor but sank 9-of-10 free throws and hauled in six rebounds with four assists on the night. He became only the 479th player in NCAA Division I history to reach the 2,000-point mark and the ninth player to accomplish the feat this season.

Carter also finished with 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting and notched his third double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds.

Jeremi Booth reached double figures for a second-straight game with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting with two of ASU’s three treys on the night. Williamson scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and added six rebounds in the victory. The junior also swatted two of ASU’s four blocks on the night. In addition to Woods' three points, he hauled in four rebounds and dished out a pair of assists.

ASU returns home from the three-game road trip to host five of its final six games at home, beginning with the tilt against Samford this Thursday, Feb. 10. The game has been designated “Celebrate Watauga Night.”

Blackburn Inks with Coastal Carolina

Avery High School senior football player Colton Blackburn signed a National Letter of Intent last Wednesday, Feb. 2, to play football for Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C

“He is coached by Darrell Brewer, who played for me at Catawba and is someone I trust,” Coastal Carolina head football coach David Bennett said of his recruit at the team’s signing day press conference. “He and (fellow h-back/fullback signee) John Masley just bring so much to the table with their skill and versatility. They will push each other and it will be neat to watch them develop. He likes blocking, he can run ball and catch the ball. That’s what you want in a player. When you have a guy like that who can play either side of the ball that’s what you want when you sign athletes, and we’re real excited about having Cole.”

Blackburn’s signing took place with his parents, John and Kim Blackburn of Newland, on hand, as well as Avery County Schools Athletic Director David Wright, Viking football head coach Darrell Brewer and Principal Mark Garrett alongside.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true for me. Ever since I started football in seventh grade I fell in love with it. When I played I realized I wanted to take the next step and play in high school. Playing here I decided that I’d like to play in college, so this day means a whole lot to me as a player and a student,” Blackburn said following his press conference. “To succeed in Avery County and do what I love and follow my dream is great.”

Blackburn gave credit to the Avery football players and coaches for giving him the confidence to succeed on the gridiron. “The team’s made a great impact on me, as we’ve grown as a family. My teammates encouraged me every day, continuing to tell me that they believed I could play in college,” Blackburn said. “The coaches, since I was a freshman, they were on my back helping me and pushing me forward to succeed in what I wanted to do. They were a huge help. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

For the Blackburn family, the day was a culmination of years of love and nurturing, and the fruition of a long-time dream.

“I’m very proud of Colton. As a freshman he told us this was one of his goals and he has worked very hard for it,” Blackburn’s mother Kim said. “He really took ownership of his goal in his junior year and he spent time working out and improving, whether with teammates or on his own, and he even researched schools to play in college. It has been really special to see how he has grown and matured not just as a son, but as a young man. It’s been a pleasure as his mom to see him reaching his goals, and it’s both sad and exciting to see him move further with them.”

“Coastal is a great school and great football program. From the coaches to the facilities, the coaching staff has been great through the whole process,” Blackburn’s father Rick said. “They take care of the students. They make sure they keep their grade point average up and are academically accountable with a 95 percent graduation rate of student-athletes, so we know they will take care of Colton and do a great job working with him.”

Blackburn is the ninth Avery player to sign to play college football since Brewer took over as head coach prior to the 2004 season, and the latest commitment holds a special place in the heart of the coach.

“It’s one of the most gratifying days as a coach, but it’s also one of the saddest to see a player advance from the high school program to play in college, especially with a kid like Colton and the relationships you build with him. It’s tough to say goodbye to him, but he’s meant the world to our program,” Brewer said of his senior running back and defensive end. “He’s a hard worker and I’ve never coached a finer young man. He’s a heck of a football player. If you could ever clone a football player, Cole’s the kind of player you’d want to clone. Coastal Carolina will be extremely proud to have him because he’s such a versatile player. Cole can play tight end, you can split him out or put him in the backfield. Coach Bennett saw the versatility in Cole and he sees many places that he could be used. They’re truly excited about adding him to their program.”

The Chanticleers are members of the Big South Conference and have won three conference championships. Four former Chanticleers currently play professionally in the National Football League, including San Diego Chargers running back Mike Tolbert and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

Robbins Signs with Sandhills Community College

Avery Lady Vikings senior volleyball player Megan Robbins signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball for Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst this fall. Robbins impressed the Sandhills coaches and staff, attending a tryout and outperforming 20 other prospects to earn the offer to play for the Flyers team.

“I first heard about Megan through Mr. Thomas Dellinger, III. His son is currently on our men’s basketball team. After contacting Megan’s coach Mrs. Kim Hayes and Megan, I invited her to come down for open tryouts on January 22,” Sandhills head volleyball coach Alicia Hill said of her newest Lady Flyer. “She along with 20 other individuals were at tryouts. The first thing I noticed about Megan was how energetic and polite she was. The entire tryout she was upbeat and very involved. She was willing to play any position, and I see her as a huge impact on the outside for us next season. She has great hops and for her size will fool a lot of opponents. We are extremely excited to add Megan to our roster for the fall.”

Robbins signed with Sandhills during a ceremony held last Wednesday, Feb. 2, at Avery County High School. Robbins was joined by coach Hayes, Megan’s father Curtis and by ounty Director of Athletics David Wright.

“I want to extend congratulations to Megan. We’re proud of Megan’s accomplishments while she has been a student at Avery High School. She’s been a vital player in our volleyball program and a key contributor in the Lady Viking soccer program who finished last year as state runner-up,” Wright said during the ceremony.

“We’re proud of what she’s done for Avery and we wish her well in the future, which we know is bright and that you will do well in whatever you choose to do.”

Robbins, who starred on the hardcourt for the Lady Vikings and hopes to pursue an academic degree in pediatric nursing, expressed gratitude to the Avery program and is excited about playing for the Flyers this fall.

“The coaches are really nice and welcomed me right off the bat. They have a really nice campus and the program was impressive. The team was encouraging of everybody and tried to push each other to work hard. They made me fit right in,” Robbins said of Sandhills. “To impress Coach Hayes here at Avery you have to work hard to finish first, not last. I’m really competitive and I hate losing, and Coach Hayes has helped a lot with helping me build character, work hard and improve as a player. She has done a lot to help me to hustle and never give up.”

It was a special day for Robbins’ father Curtis, who was extremely proud of his daughter and everything she has accomplished as a student and prep player.

“I’m proud of Megan. She’s excelled in soccer and volleyball and has always stepped up to her competition. She’s very competitive. Her mother and I both played sports in college and we’ve always encouraged her to play,” Curtis Robbins said of his daughter. “We went to Sandhills and were impressed with the coaches and program. The coach is top-notch and emphasizes the girls working hard and becoming all they can be. They have a good team, ranked seventh in the nation, and she will be playing some of the best players and teams in the country.”

The Lady Vikings are losing a great player in Robbins, but Hayes commented on how Avery’s loss of a special volleyball player and strong competitor will be a great gain for the Flyers.

“Megan has been one of our strongest leaders. I’m excited for her because she possesses a fiery instinct in her that she wants to be surrounded at a higher level with kids better than her that really pushes her to improve. She has huge aspirations, she wants to be challenged and pushed, and I think Sandhills is going to be the perfect fit for her,” Hayes said. “I’m excited about where she can possibly go after community college, because Division 1 schools look at players out of community college. I’m really excited for her to be at this school. The coach just loved her, and I’m excited to see how she performs this year and to see what’s going to happen for her after two years. I’m thrilled and excited for Megan.”

Sandhills Community College Lady Flyers volleyball is a member of Region X of the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association.

Vikings Sweep Blackhawks in Non-Conference Hoops Action

Avery swept all four games at home vs. West Wilkes last night. The JV girls started off a bit slow as they were tied at 23 with West at halftime. The Lady Vikings found the hot hand in the second half, however, to pull away for a 65-32 win.

Bre Heaton scored 22 to lead Avery, with 12 from Katie Rigdon and 7 from Jesse Ramsey.

The JV boys also took care of West Wilkes, using a 15-0 run to start the game en route to a 20-point win.

Avery Lady Vikings basketball wore pink socks Wednesday night
as part of its "Pink Zone" fund raiser for Breast Cancer Awareness

The Avery Lady Viking varsity team won 58-46 over West Wilkes to move to 17-5 for the season. Avery's players wore pink socks for the "Pink Zone" and money was collected in honor of breast cancer awareness. The Lady Vikings led 16-14 after one quarter, and held a 32-26 lead at halftime.

The Lady Vikings exploded for a 20-7 run in the third period to build a 52-33 lead after three quarters which proved to be the difference in the game.

Mercedes Bentley led the way with 15 points, while Megan Tennant added 12 and Lauren Burleson chipped in with 10 points off the bench. West was led by Caitlyn Kilby with 12 points, with 10 from Leah Bishop.

In the boys contest, the Big Red came out sporting retro jerseys from the 1995-1996 season. Early on, it looked like the offense was left in the past, as both teams struggled to find offensive consistency. Avery had a hard time deciphering the West 2-1-2 zone defense, but the Vikings led 17-12 after one period, and held a 32-22 lead at halftime.

Much like the girls contest, the varsity boys blew up for 22 third-quarter points to propel Avery to a 54-35 advantage, and poured it on in the fourth quarter for a decisive 80-47 win. The victory improves Avery to 13-6 for the season.

Dustin Clarke led Avery with 18 points, with ten points each from Joey Potter, Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart. Austin Lyons added eight points, with seven from Kody Hughes.

The Vikings host Mountain Heritage on Friday for Senior Night. A Lady Vikings win will clinch the regular season Western Highlands Conference championship.

Lady Vikings Remain Unbeaten in Conference with Three WHC Wins

The Avery (AHS) Lady Vikings capped a busy week of roundball action with a trio of triumphs. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, the Big Red blasted the Lady Bearcats from Hendersonville 80-26. AHS played its most competitive conference game of the season to date last Thursday, Jan. 26, as it took overtime for AHS to defeat Mountain Heritage 67-63 in Burnsville. The Lady Vikings followed up the emotional win the next evening with a 70-46 win in Columbus against Polk County.

Hendersonville was overmatched from the outset as AHS raced out to a 20-2 lead after one period and a whopping 42-5 margin at halftime en route to a lopsided win. All 11 players on the Lady Viking roster scored in the game, led by Megan Tennant’s 16 points. Mercedes Bentley scored 14, with 12 from Katelynn Eudy and 11 from Kelsie Clarke.

“We had starters play together at the first, then mixed things up and had different players playing together in the game. We worked on cutting down on turnovers and bettering our shooting percentage,” Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons said after the win. “It gave us the chance to work on some zones and different things.”

The week’s second game against Mountain Heritage two days later was the best ladies contest in the Western Highlands Conference this season, as the top two teams in the conference standings squared off.

AHS struggled a bit from the field in the first eight minutes, missing on 11 of its 17 shots from the floor. Bentley helped buoy the Lady Viking offense, however, with a pair of three-pointers, while Eudy posted six points in the frame as well. Nonetheless, the tall Heritage frontline was extremely physical and effective in the paint, helping the Lady Cougars to a 17-16 advantage after one quarter.

In the second quarter the Lady Cougars heated up from outside the arc, converting 3-of-5 shots from long distance. AHS continued to work hard offensively, but shots were not falling with consistency. A 10-2 Mountain Heritage scoring spurt over the final three minutes of the half pulled the Lady Cougars to a 36-27 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter Heritage held an eight-point lead, but rebounding and defense keyed a 9-0 Lady Viking scoring run to erase the deficit and give the Big Red its first lead of the half at 41-40 with three minutes left in the period. Heritage responded with its own 6-0 run to regain control, settling for a 48-45 lead after three quarters.

A Clarke steal and layup early in the fourth quarter tied the game at 50-50, and neither team led by more than two points for the remainder of the period. Two Clarke free throws, and one made free throw each from Tennant and Eudy gave the Lady Vikings a tenuous 58-56 lead with 10 seconds left in regulation.

On its last offensive possession of the quarter Heritage forward Breanna Woody rebounded a shot and scored while Clarke collected a fifth personal foul. A mere 2.5 seconds remained on the clock as the basket tied the score at 58-58 with the opportunity for the Lady Cougars to shoot the potential game-winning free throw. Following a Heritage timeout, Woody went to the line and missed the free throw. AHS secured the rebound to send the game to overtime.

In the extra session, the Lady Vikings received a boost from an unsung heroine in junior guard Savannah Dellinger. The junior guard hit a jump shot in the lane in the overtime while also converting a perfect 5-for-5 shots from the free throw line, including two clutch shots with less than 10 seconds on the clock after a Lady Cougar three-pointer had cut the Big Red lead to only a pair. Avery’s defense clamped down when needed most to secure the win and preserve the team’s unblemished record in WHC games this season.

“Heritage shot the ball well. They were aggressive and they out-rebounded us for a stretch. We had a colorful halftime talk and decided to play a little better defense in the second half,” Lyons said. “Kelsie did a good job using her hands and getting steals. We did a good job getting out on the press and especially improved our rebounding in the second half. It was a physical game and Heritage played as rough as the referees let them. We felt once we toughened up a bit and adjusted to the style of the game and rebounded the ball, we could get back into the game.”

Eudy paced the Lady Vikings with a double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds. Tennant added 19 points and 10 rebounds, with eight points from Bentley. Dellinger scored all seven of her points for the contest during the four-minute overtime period.

“Savannah had the little basket inside and was perfect on the free throws. She and the girls stepped up as leaders. Lauren’s [Burleson] height gave us a further advantage inside against their taller players,” Lyons added. “It was a good game for us to have and I was glad for us to come out on the winning side. After having two easier games and not having a lot of close games, to have a game like that really helped us quite a bit.”

The final game of the week against Polk was a tight contest in the early going as the battle from the previous evening appeared to have a lingering effect. The Lady Wolverines defended its home floor as AHS could only build a 20-15 margin after one stanza.

Polk outscored the Lady Vikings 7-4 over the first 2:29 of the second period to draw within a pair at 24-22. AHS committed to scoring inside in the period, however, pounding the basketball in the paint. Tennant scored four baskets in the period from short range with two additional hoops from Eudy, increasing the Lady Viking lead to 36-29 at intermission.

As the second half ensued, the AHS defensive pressure began to wilt the Wolverines. The Big Red coaxed 10 turnovers in the quarter from Polk while putting up 20 points of its own in the period, racing to a commanding 56-39 lead after three quarters. In the final stanza Polk found the going tougher, as AHS held the club to only seven points in the frame. Monica Estep scored six points in the second half, four in the final quarter, as the Lady Vikings earned the win.

Polk had no answer for the Avery offense from the interior. Tennant scored 22 points, with 10 from Eudy and 9 from Estep and Bentley. Clarke posted eight points, with five apiece from Dellinger and Burleson.

“Katelynn and Megan were beaten up pretty good in the Heritage game and they weren’t hitting their shots early on at Polk. It was an emotional game and the girls were a little tired as a result,” Lyons said after the win. “Megan got in some foul trouble, but once we got a little rotation going she was able to get a lot of rest in the first half, and was fresh and effective in the second half. Polk played a good game. They were aggressive and played hard. They hit the boards and the post players played a good first half. In the second half we came out defensively and gave a much better defensive effort. They play well at home and we’ve struggled there in the past. We didn’t shoot well, but the half-court trap was key and Kelsie was active with several steals out of it.”

The Lady Vikings host three opponents during this week and end regular season play on the road. AHS hosted Madison on Tuesday, and makes up a rescheduled game with West Wilkes this Wednesday, Feb. 2. The team hosts Mountain Heritage this Friday, Feb. 4, for Senior Night, and will make the short trip to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers this Monday, Feb. 7.

JV Hoops Roundup

The Viking junior varsity basketball teams were busy with hoops action last week, hosting Hendersonville on Tuesday, Jan. 25, before hitting the road for two road games at Mountain Heritage on Jan. 27, and at Polk County last Friday, Jan. 28.

JV Girls Remain Unbeaten in Conference Play
The Avery Lady Vikings (AHS) junior varsity continued its streak of impressive victories, cruising to a 60-9 win against the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats.

AHS led 9-2 after one quarter, but jumped to a 24-6 halftime advantage. The Big Red defense held the Lady Bearcats to only three points over the final two periods en route to the impressive win.

A total of 10 Lady Vikings scored points in the win, led by 10 points and four steals from Bre Heaton. Katie Rigdon and Taylor Hobbs chipped in with eight points apiece, while Shannon Smith added six points and nine rebounds.

“We knew it should be an easy game, so we tweaked our lineup, which worked really well, giving everybody a chance to play and everybody did a really good job,” head coach Pat Daniels said after the win. “The team played really well together and everybody stepped in and never missed a beat. Everybody played good team ball.”
The contest at Mountain Heritage proved to be one of the toughest games of the season to date for the Big Red. The Lady Vikings persevered, however, behind a 28-point effort from Heaton to earn a 52-44 road win.

AHS led 11-8 after one quarter thanks to three three-point baskets from Heaton, and doubled its lead by halftime to 20-14 as Jessie Ramsey chipped in with four points in the second stanza.

Heritage hung around in the contest using its physical play and tall frontline. Avery countered by using its press defense and pushing the basketball up the floor with every offensive opportunity. The Lady Vikings forced several Lady Cougar turnovers in the third quarter in taking a 33-24 lead going into the final period. Heaton heated up with several layups off steals in the final quarter, while teammate Hobbs scored five of her seven points for the game in the last period to propel the Big Red to the win.

Heaton added four steals and three assists to her point total. Haley Woody scored two points, but pulled down six rebounds, blocked five shots, dished four assists and grabbed two steals in the win.

“It was a physical game. A couple of girls were elbowed hard and there were no calls by the official,” Daniels said. “Taylor played a good game for us and she has picked up her game. She seems to like playing at power forward and has rebounded the ball well. Sela [Pittman] also played a great game and picked up several rebounds, giving a strong effort when we had some foul trouble. Mountain Heritage is a good team, and our defense picked it up in the second half.”

In the Polk contest the Lady Vikings was victorious by only three points, and the Big Red set out to make a statement on the home floor of the Lady Wolverines. AHS did just that, hammering the Lady Wolverines by a 49-33 final score.
AHS jumped out to an early lead, taking a 16-4 advantage after one period and a commanding 37-11 lead at halftime.

The Lady Vikings took the foot off the gas pedal in the third period and the Lady Wolverines cut the AHS lead to 41-24 after three periods. The contest was never in doubt however, as AHS scored at the free throw line to salt away the game and another Viking victory.

Heaton continued her torrid scoring pace with 26 points in the win, in addition to five assists and four rebounds. Rigdon added nine points and five steals, with five points and six rebounds from Woody.

“The referees had only had us play six minute quarters when we played Polk at home the first time, and with us only beating them by three points, the Polk coach convinced herself that they would have beaten us had the game had seven minute quarters. I told our girls that we need to go out and show them the kind of team we have. They came out with fire in the first quarter and took it to them early,” Daniels said. “We played a full game this time and the girls have been playing great defense the past couple of games.”

JV Boys Evens Score with Hendersonville, Falls Short in Road Contests
Last week the AHS junior varsity boys squad made a statement at home with its 59-54 win over Hendersonville. The Vikings could not carry the momentum into the week’s remaining games, however, dropping a 51-33 loss at Mountain Heritage and a heartbreaking 57-55 defeat on a buzzer-beater at Polk County.

Avery grabbed a 13-11 lead over the Bearcats after one quarter of action, but a strong second quarter led by seven points off the bench from Zack Guy and a stifling team defensive effort pushed the Big Red to a 32-19 halftime lead.
The Vikings carried the momentum of the first half into the third period, extending the lead to 45-30 after three quarters. Hendersonville made things interesting with a late scoring spurt, outscoring AHS 24-14 in the final seven minutes, but it was too little too late as the home team celebrated the win.

Guy finished the game with a season-high 13 points, while teammate Lane Smith also netted 13 points. Luke Wotell chipped in with 10 points off the bench. Bryce Pittman added eight points, with seven from Chance Watson.

The Vikings were unable to experience the same success in its matchup with the Mountain Heritage Cougars. Avery fell behind 14-2 after one period and was never able to catch up against a tall and athletic Cougars club. Smith led the Vikings with eight points in the contest, with seven from Wotell and five points from Pittman.

AHS bounced back in its final game against the Wolverines. The teams were tied at nine points apiece after one period, but the Vikings seized control in the second stanza, leading by as many as 12 points in the period before taking a 25-20 advantage into halftime.

Typical of the closeness of the contest, Polk stormed back in the third quarter to regain the lead at 37-35. For the remainder of the contest, the teams played nip and tuck as neither club could gain more than a one possession lead on the scoreboard.

Late in the game, Avery’s Smith hit a pair of clutch free throws, which tied the contest at 55 apiece. With its final possession, however, Polk held for the final shot. The attempt was missed, but an offensive rebound and layup at the buzzer proved the difference between overtime and a Polk County win.

“Heritage came out early and knocked us back on our heels and just couldn’t recover. The kids were just overmatched that night and the home court advantage definitely helped Heritage. Polk was a back-and-forth game of scoring runs. If we had been a little smarter with a 12-point lead maybe we could have sealed it and put the game away. The kids fought hard to get back into the game. I saw some good things,” boys JV coach Reggie Oakes said after the week’s games. “The game really came down to who had the ball last. Unfortunately they made the play with their last possession to win the game. I thought Luke played well for us inside and Payton [Lowery] played well before fouling out. We need to work to get the ball inside more, and is something we will focus on for the rest of the season.”

The Vikings host three opponents during this week and end regular season play on the road. AHS hosted Madison on Tuesday, and makes up a rescheduled game with West Wilkes this Wednesday, Feb. 2. The team hosts Mountain Heritage this Friday, Feb. 4, and will make the short trip to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Mountaineers this Monday, Feb. 7.