Ashe County Girls' Record Win Streak at 17

By Joel Frady

Girls hold Vikings to record low

The Ashe County Huskies varsity girls basketball team, already on a school record 15-game winning streak, set another record on Friday, Feb. 6, by holding the North Wilkes Vikings to only 16 points. Ashe County scored more than that in the first quarter (21) and cruised to a 73-16 blowout win in West Jefferson.

It was the fewest number of points an opponent had ever scored against the Huskies. The previous low was the 18 points the team held Alleghany to on Dec. 18, 2007.

Friday's game against North Wilkes was similar to the first match-up between the teams, an 88-34 match in Hays on Jan. 9. In that game, Ashe County set the school's record for the most points scored in a game (breaking the previous record of 78 set against Wilkes Central).

The Huskies hit the ground running against the Vikings and never looked back. North Wilkes was unable to make any shots from the floor in the first quarter and the Huskies were up 21-1 going into the second.

According to head coach Laura Foster, the lead "was a good enough cushion that we could back off on our press and work on our half-court defense." North Surry finally hit a basket in the final minutes of the half, but Ashe County went to the locker room with a 31-3 advantage.

The second half didn't prove to be any more suspenseful as Ashe County continued to play strong defense and convert turnovers into points. The team also shot 59 percent from the floor, compared to 13 percent for North Wilkes.

Foster said she was just as impressed with her team's unselfish play as she was the defense.

"We created 27 turnovers, but more impressively, we had 26 team assists, which is incredible on 34 baskets," she said. "It just shows how unselfish we play. We're sharing the basketball, and that's something you like to see."

The win moved the Huskies to 21-1 overall and 9-1 in the Mountain Valley conference, and was their 16th consecutive victory. Foster said that the key going into the final two games of the season is to "not let up.

"We're facing two teams we've already beaten," she said. "We've got a conference title that's up for us to win - it's ours not to lose, and we've got to win this week to solidify first place."

Huskies sweep Forbush for 10th conference win
Ashe County traveled to East Bend to face the Forbush Falcons on Tuesday, Feb. 10, in their final road game of the regular season. Ashe County previously defeated the Falcons 42-20 in West Jefferson on Jan. 16, and the Huskies made sure that Tuesday's match gave Forbush a sense of déjà vu.

Forbush hit the game's first basket for a 2-0 lead, but it was all Huskies after that. Sophomore Mallary Clay scored six points for Ashe County to lead a 10-0 run. Forbush could only muster up one basket the remainder of the quarter as the Huskies took a 17-4 lead into the second.

The Falcons mounted a quick comeback, scoring the first five points of the second quarter to cut the Huskies' lead to 17-9. Ashe County responded with a run of their own, outscoring the Falcons 19-4 for the remainder of the quarter to take a 36-13 lead at halftime.

The Huskies continued to outpace their opponent in the second half. They ended the third quarter on a 7-0 run to push their lead to 53-22, and the teams played even in the fourth as Ashe County claimed the 66-35 victory.

The victory was the 17th in a row for the Huskies, who moved to 22-1 and 10-1 in the conference. They lead second place contender North Surry by a game in conference play and can claim the outright regular season title with a win at home on Thursday, Feb. 12, against the Wilkes Central Eagles.

"Wilkes Central is a team that played us to an eight-point game at their place, so that's a concern of mine," said Foster. She noted that they "can shoot the three and can also penetrate and wreak havoc on you by getting fouls."

With a win on Thursday, Ashe County can also earn a first-round bye in the Mountain Valley Conference tournament. The tournament will begin on Monday, Feb. 16, with the first round being played at the higher-seeded schools. Ashe County will host the semifinals and finals in West Jefferson.

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.