Junior varsity hoops roundup
Both Vikings junior varsity teams will have a say in this year’s Western Highlands Conference tournaments.
The clubs were 3-1 in games played last week, with both clubs earning double-digit victories over opponents Mitchell and Ashe County. The teams in the process showed why they will be tough outs in conference postseason play.
Avery’s JV girls basketball team regained its shooting touch and defensive tenacity as it upended Mitchell’s Lady Mountaineers 54-14 in the final conference regular season game for the Big Red. One evening later, AHS handed Ashe County a 28-17 loss in a low-scoring affair.
AHS raced out to an early 12-3 lead after one quarter and held a commanding 29-8 margin at halftime. The contest remained all Avery in the second half, as the Lady Vikings outscored Mitchell 12-4 in the third period for a 41-12 advantage en route to the 40-point win.
Abby Thompson, Juanita Guzman and Jodi Poore scored nine points each to lead the Lady Vikings, with eight points and six rebounds from Kylie Polsgrove.
Amber Johnson paced Mitchell with nine points.
“With Kylie and Juanita out there, they are so quick defensively. We had 17 steals as a team, and they had about half of them in the game. If they aren’t stealing a ball, they’re quick enough to get a hand in and tip a ball to a teammate,” head coach Pat Daniels said after the win. “All our substitutes played a lot in the game, and everyone who played was able to score. Everyone is playing with confidence.”
The following evening Avery wrapped up its regular season slate at Ashe County. The contest was a defensive battle, as Avery scored 16 of its points in the first period for a seven-point lead. From that point, neither team could manage more than 13 points for the remainder of the game. AHS held Ashe to only seven second-half points, while the Lady Vikings was active defensively with double-digit steal totals.
At one juncture of the contest, AHS missed six consecutive free throws, or the game would have been decided by a more lopsided margin.
Polsgrove led all scorers with 12 points, in addition to five rebounds. Guzman and Poore added six points apiece.
“Early on, our girls hit some shots on Ashe’s zone defense, and we thought we could keep shooting the ball, which allowed them to get within 14-10. We then stepped up defensively. I finally told the girls to pass the ball inside, but we kept turning the ball over. We finally passed the ball around, forcing them to play man-to-man, which ended up being the difference,” Daniels said. “Ashe played a good zone defense, but our defense and trapping shut their offense down. This is the best defensive team I’ve ever had.”
The Avery JV boys team split its two outings on the hardwood last week, earning a 51-40 home win against Mitchell and suffering a 36-31 setback at Ashe.
AHS opened its game on Tuesday, Feb. 7, against Mitchell with a 15-5 scoring run to lead by double figures after one period. The Vikings offensive machine came to a standstill in the second quarter, however, scoring only four points. Mitchell used its defense to generate offense, taking a narrow 20-19 lead at halftime.
Things remained close on the scoreboard through the third quarter, as AHS regained the lead with a 13-point stanza to build a 33-27 advantage. The Vikings closed the deal with a flourish, scoring 18 fourth-quarter points, including seven of Tre Jackson’s team-high 17 points in the span, to pick up the conference win.
Kobe Pittman joined Jackson as double-figure scorers with 14 points, with five points each from Tyler Pitman and Dylan Bauer. Dalton Tennant and Payton Lowery scored four points each.
Avery played the Huskies in Jefferson the following evening in a low-scoring game that was unfortunately marred by an injury to an Ashe player that prompted a game delay of more than 30 minutes. Ashe led 9-8 after one period and maintained a slim 17-15 lead at intermission.
AHS could not get its offense clicking against the Huskies, due in part to a number of Avery’s players, including Jackson, Tennant, James Stewart and Austin Phillips, being moved up to the varsity roster to boost that club’s bench that was depleted by injuries and illness.
The Vikings defense kept the club in the game, trailing by only four points at 28-24 after three periods, but the Big Red could never find the extra gear to overtake Ashe, as the Huskies held on for the five-point win.
Pittman scored 11 points with three assists and three rebounds, with 10 points, four steals and three rebounds from Bauer. Johnathan Cox led Ashe with 16 points.
Both junior varsity teams compete in this week’s Western Highlands Conference tournaments to close the 2011-12 season.
The clubs were 3-1 in games played last week, with both clubs earning double-digit victories over opponents Mitchell and Ashe County. The teams in the process showed why they will be tough outs in conference postseason play.
Avery’s JV girls basketball team regained its shooting touch and defensive tenacity as it upended Mitchell’s Lady Mountaineers 54-14 in the final conference regular season game for the Big Red. One evening later, AHS handed Ashe County a 28-17 loss in a low-scoring affair.
AHS raced out to an early 12-3 lead after one quarter and held a commanding 29-8 margin at halftime. The contest remained all Avery in the second half, as the Lady Vikings outscored Mitchell 12-4 in the third period for a 41-12 advantage en route to the 40-point win.
Abby Thompson, Juanita Guzman and Jodi Poore scored nine points each to lead the Lady Vikings, with eight points and six rebounds from Kylie Polsgrove.
Amber Johnson paced Mitchell with nine points.
“With Kylie and Juanita out there, they are so quick defensively. We had 17 steals as a team, and they had about half of them in the game. If they aren’t stealing a ball, they’re quick enough to get a hand in and tip a ball to a teammate,” head coach Pat Daniels said after the win. “All our substitutes played a lot in the game, and everyone who played was able to score. Everyone is playing with confidence.”
The following evening Avery wrapped up its regular season slate at Ashe County. The contest was a defensive battle, as Avery scored 16 of its points in the first period for a seven-point lead. From that point, neither team could manage more than 13 points for the remainder of the game. AHS held Ashe to only seven second-half points, while the Lady Vikings was active defensively with double-digit steal totals.
At one juncture of the contest, AHS missed six consecutive free throws, or the game would have been decided by a more lopsided margin.
Polsgrove led all scorers with 12 points, in addition to five rebounds. Guzman and Poore added six points apiece.
“Early on, our girls hit some shots on Ashe’s zone defense, and we thought we could keep shooting the ball, which allowed them to get within 14-10. We then stepped up defensively. I finally told the girls to pass the ball inside, but we kept turning the ball over. We finally passed the ball around, forcing them to play man-to-man, which ended up being the difference,” Daniels said. “Ashe played a good zone defense, but our defense and trapping shut their offense down. This is the best defensive team I’ve ever had.”
The Avery JV boys team split its two outings on the hardwood last week, earning a 51-40 home win against Mitchell and suffering a 36-31 setback at Ashe.
AHS opened its game on Tuesday, Feb. 7, against Mitchell with a 15-5 scoring run to lead by double figures after one period. The Vikings offensive machine came to a standstill in the second quarter, however, scoring only four points. Mitchell used its defense to generate offense, taking a narrow 20-19 lead at halftime.
Things remained close on the scoreboard through the third quarter, as AHS regained the lead with a 13-point stanza to build a 33-27 advantage. The Vikings closed the deal with a flourish, scoring 18 fourth-quarter points, including seven of Tre Jackson’s team-high 17 points in the span, to pick up the conference win.
Kobe Pittman joined Jackson as double-figure scorers with 14 points, with five points each from Tyler Pitman and Dylan Bauer. Dalton Tennant and Payton Lowery scored four points each.
Avery played the Huskies in Jefferson the following evening in a low-scoring game that was unfortunately marred by an injury to an Ashe player that prompted a game delay of more than 30 minutes. Ashe led 9-8 after one period and maintained a slim 17-15 lead at intermission.
AHS could not get its offense clicking against the Huskies, due in part to a number of Avery’s players, including Jackson, Tennant, James Stewart and Austin Phillips, being moved up to the varsity roster to boost that club’s bench that was depleted by injuries and illness.
The Vikings defense kept the club in the game, trailing by only four points at 28-24 after three periods, but the Big Red could never find the extra gear to overtake Ashe, as the Huskies held on for the five-point win.
Pittman scored 11 points with three assists and three rebounds, with 10 points, four steals and three rebounds from Bauer. Johnathan Cox led Ashe with 16 points.
Both junior varsity teams compete in this week’s Western Highlands Conference tournaments to close the 2011-12 season.