Marley Jones scored 10 of her game-high 23 points in a decisive second quarter as Avery pulled away for a 57-45 Western Highlands Conference win over Polk County on Monday night.
The victory gave the Vikings (16-2, 8-1 WHC) a share of the conference regular-season title. Hendersonville defeated Mountain Heritage 46-41 on Monday evening to clinch the other half of the conference crown.
The teams played to a 12-12 tie in the first quarter, and Polk County (16-4, 5-4) appeared to have found its footing when the score sat at 22-22 with 4:04 remaining in the second quarter. But Jones ignited a 12-4 run to close the half, capped by a Matilda Carver three-pointer just before the buzzer that sent Avery into the break with a 34-26 advantage.
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The Vikings extended the lead to 14 in the third quarter. Bailey Staton and Reeve Carroll answered with back-to-back three-pointers to end the third and open the fourth, trimming the deficit to 45-37, but that was as close as the Wolverines would get.
Staton led Polk County with 19 points, including four three-pointers. Carroll added 13 points with three threes of her own. Honesty Jackson added five points, including a three, with Sofie Abrahamsen adding four and Amiyah Waters and Charley Dusenbury each scoring two.
Polk County enters the WHC Tournament as the fourth seed and will open play Wednesday at Mountain Heritage against either Mitchell or Madison. That matchup will be determined Tuesday.
