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.

Western Highlands Conference Tournament Brackets UPDATED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Avery Boys v. Heritage (Conference Tournament)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second half action after the break!

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHC Boys Tournament Update

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

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

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

We'll have an updated score later this evening.

The Carolina Basketball Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Varsity Hoops Conclude Regular Season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ASU Mountaineers Hoops Roundup

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LMC Sports Roundup

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Junior Varsity Hoops Roundup

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.