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By Joel Frady
Girls fly past Blackhawks
The Ashe County Huskies varsity girls basketball team got
off to a slow start against the West Wilkes
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Blackhawks in Wilkesboro on Wednesday, Jan. 28, but used a
stifling defense to put away West Wilkes.
The defense was especially strong for the Huskies, who held
the Blackhawks to less than 10 points in all four quarters.
Ashe County struggled early and were down 9-5 going into the
final minute of the quarter. But a three-point basket by Kendra
Yearick as time expired gave the Huskies a 10-9 lead.
West Wilkes took the lead back with a basket early in the second
quarter before sophomore Mallary Clay hit two free throws to
give Ashe County the lead for good. The Huskies then outscored
West Wilkes 17-4 for the remainder of the period to take a 29-15
lead into the half.
West Wilkes never recovered and only managed four points in
the third quarter to the Huskies' 14. Both offenses were quiet
in the final frame as Ashe County preferred ball control over
taking shots on their way to a 50-27 win.
Foster said she was happy with the performance, especially since
it came one day after a 52-49 home victory over the Starmount
Rams.
"After a big win, you're always concerned that you're going
to come out with no energy and no emotion," said Head Coach
Laura Foster. "But we really picked it up in the second
quarter.
"In the third quarter, we just got the game out of reach
and created a lot of turnovers," she continued. "I
got good minutes from everybody."
Huskies take conference lead in Mount Airy
Ashe County traveled to Mount Airy on Friday, Jan. 30,
for a huge game in the Mountain Valley Conference against the
North Surry Greyhounds. Both teams were 7-1 in conference play
going into the match, and the winner would walk away with much
more than a win.
The Huskies got off to a quick start, holding the North Surry
offense down in the first quarter to take a 18-8 lead. Ashe
County continued to dominate for the first four minutes of the
second quarter, their lead reaching 26-13, but the Greyhounds
weren't going down without a fight.
North Surry hit a run just as the Huskies went cold. Ashe County
missed four consecutive free throws down the stretch as North
Surry ended the half on a 15-4 run to cut the Huskies' lead
to two.
North Surry tied the game twice early in the third - at 30 and
32 - but were never able to jump in front of Ashe County. The
Huskies never lead by more than four in the quarter, but five
points from Yearick in a two-minute span helped the Huskies
take a 42-39 lead into the final quarter.
North Surry cut the lead back to one in the first minute of
the fourth before the Huskies took off. Sophomore Mariah McVey
scored four quick points before senior Kim McNeil hit a basket
to give Ashe County a 48-41 advantage. Ashe County then delivered
on their foul shots down the stretch, hitting eight of 14 in
the quarter to earn a 57-52 victory and first place in the conference.
After Wednesday's game, Foster had said that if the team could
win at North Surry they would have "at least locked in
a share of the conference title" so long as they continue
to perform well down the stretch. It was also the first time
in several years that Ashe County won in Mount Airy.
Blackhawks revisited
Ashe County's match against the West Wilkes Blackhawks
in West Jefferson on Monday, Feb. 2, turned out even less competitive
than the game between the two schools only five days prior.
Although the Huskies started slow, scoring only 21 points in
the first half, but the defense built a virtual fortress around
the basket. They held the Blackhawks to four points in the first
quarter and six in the second before using an explosive second
half to sweep West Wilkes.
Yearick found her spot behind the arch in the third quarter,
scoring nine of her 11 points from long-range as the Huskies
scored 28 points. West Wilkes' offense improved slightly, scoring
eight points in the quarter, but it did nothing to prevent the
Huskies from taking a 31-point lead.
The Huskies' domination continued throughout the fourth quarter.
They outscored West Wilkes 23-8 in the quarter to seal the 72-26
victory and earn their 15th consecutive win.
The Huskies will return to conference play on Friday, Feb. 6,
at home against the North Wilkes Vikings. They will then travel
to East Bend to play the Forbush Falcons on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Admission to all home games is $5, and the varsity girls tip
off at approximately 6:30 p.m. Anyone unable to attend any of
the games can tune into the action on WKSK 580 AM. To find out
more, contact Ashe County High School at (336) 846-2400.
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