Lady Huskies Split First Two Conference Games

By Joel Frady

Rams Withstand Lady Huskies' Rally, Win 69-68
As it frequently goes in conference rivalry games, Friday's match between Ashe County and Starmount went

down to the final possession. With 10 seconds left and the game tied at 67, and both teams managed to make it to the free throw line.

The difference: Jordan Raye of Starmount hit two free throws, while Ashe County sophomore Mallary Clay hit the first and missed the second. The Huskies were given one final opportunity with half a second on the clock - just long enough to catch an inbounds pass and shoot immediately - but the inbounds pass was blocked and time expired.

It was a thrilling finish to a game that appeared to be a blowout early on. Starmount came out on fire, scoring 23 first quarter points, while Ashe County only scored eight points and only made three of their eight free throws.

The Huskies' offense awoke in the second quarter. Led by senior Kim McNeil, who scored 11 of her team-high 26 points in the quarter, Ashe County cut the Ram's halftime lead to 40-28.

"In the first half, I was disappointed with out effort and our mental awareness," said varsity girl's head coach Laura Foster. "Our discipline was not there in the first half."

The team's free-throw shooting didn't help, as the Huskies missed more than 10 first-half free throws en route to finishing the game 13-of-27 from the line.

"The free-throw shooting was horrendous, and you can't expect to win big games and miss the free throws that we shot," said Foster. "you can't beat any good team shooting free throws like that."

Despite their first half issues, the Huskies got hot in the second. After Starmount had extended their lead to 45-30, Ashe County went on a 19-point run sparked by full-court pressure defense to take a four-point lead. But the Rams responded, tying the game at 49 going into the final frame.

Both teams hit their offensive stride in the final quarter, trading baskets for the entire eight minutes. The score was tied four times in the quarter before Raye hit the winning free throws.

"It's a tale of two halves," Foster said of the game. "Starmount played very well, and we did a whole lot to hurt ourselves.

"Starmount has a solid team," she added. "They've got a good point guard, a good wing and a good post."

Foster said that she was pleased with her team's second half effort despite the outcome.

"In the second half, I thought we came out and did a much better job, made a game out of it and put ourselves in a position to win, but couldn't get it" she continued.

Foster said that the team will shoot a lot of free throws at practice and build on their mental toughness.

"The game is consisted of four quarters, and we showed up for two in the second half," she said. "But I like out chances against anybody when we play good for 32 minutes."

The loss dropped the Huskies to 5-1, but 0-1 in conference play.

Lady Huskies Soar Past Golden Eagles
The Ashe County Huskies responded to their heartbreaking loss to Starmount with a thorough beating of the Surry Central Golden Eagles, 76-25, on Monday night in West Jefferson. The Huskies used their advantage to rotate through the entire roster, and every player scored for the first time of the season.

"We came out and played really well," said Foster. "Surry Central is in a rebuilding year, but we came out and played really well, distributed the ball and played very unselfish. We played hard for 32 minutes, and that's something we talked about."

The game appeared competitive early on, as Ashe County only had a 14-8 lead after the first quarter. But any momentum that the Golden Eagles had was lost between quarters; they only scored two points in the second as the Huskies ran away with a 37-10 halftime lead.

Foster said that the game was exactly what the team needed after Friday's loss.

"The only way to solve stuff like that is to get back to playing," she said. "We practiced Saturday, had a good practice. The way to get one loss out of your system is to come back and get a win, and a conference win at that."

Foster noted that the team also made their free throws, going 18-for-25 from the line. The 72 percent shooting from the line beat the team's goal, which Foster had set at 70 percent after their 48 percent outing at Starmount. Ashe County also forced 24 turnovers in the game while holding Surry Central to 17 rebounds.

The win moves the Huskies to 6-1 on the year and 1-1 in conference play. They will play in the High Point Holiday Christmas Classic this weekend at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point. Their next home game is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 2, against the North Surry Greyhounds.