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HomeHigh SchoolWith second quarter separation, Watauga shows up Ashe County, 86-48

With second quarter separation, Watauga shows up Ashe County, 86-48

By David Rogers. WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — After Ashe County won the opening tipoff, the Jan. 24 game against Watauga was a proverbial nail biter — at least for the first quarter. The visiting Pioneers dominated the final three periods en route to an 86-48 win over the host Huskies.

Four Watauga players finished in double figures, scoring, led by Kate Sears (31 points), Blair Haines (16), Izzy Torgerson (15) and Kaitlyn Darner (11).

Continuing her high performance but unselfish play, Watauga’s Kate Sears (12) passes to a teammate down low on Jan. 24, at Ashe County. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

For the third time this season, the Pioneer offense put more than 80 points on the board in the 48-minute affair. The Jan. 22 victory over Freedom — during which senior guard Sears recorded career highs in points scored (43), rebounds (21) and assists (15) — matched the an earlier 83-point effort by Watauga at East Lincoln on Dec. 14, so the 86-point effort at Ashe County sets a new Pioneer standard for the 2024-25 regular season campaign.

As Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson pointed out to reporters after the game, the squad’s 18 made three-point shots against the Huskies is at or near a program record and “up there” in the state record book for women’s high school basketball. The 3-pointers came from five different players. Sears accounted for seven of them, Haines for four, Torgerson for five, Darner for one and Julie Matheson for one.

Pioneer guard Julie Matheson gets off a 3-point shot on Jan. 24 at Ashe County. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

While Watauga all but shut down almost all of the Huskies on this night, the lone exception was senior point guard/shooting guard Abby Sheets, whose 31 points matched Sears for game-high scoring honors. As a team, Ashe County had a credible night from long distance, hitting five 3-pointers, three by Sheets and one each by Kinzley Blevins and Abby Eller.

Next up for Watauga (12-4 overall, 5-0 Northwestern Conference) is a non-conference home encounter vs. Daniel Boone High School (9-9) of Gray, Tenn., on Jan. 29. This date will feature only the women’s teams at home, with the junior varsity starting at 4:30 p.m. and the varsity to follow.

SCORING

  • WAT – Kate Sears (31 points)
  • ASHE – Abby Sheets (31)
  • WAT – Blair Haines (16)
  • WAT – Izzy Torgerson (15)
  • WAT – Kaitlyn Darner (11)
  • ASHE – Taryn Kilby (7)
  • WAT – Julie Matheson (5)
  • WAT – Presli Wood (4)
  • ASHE – Kinzley Blevins (3)
  • ASHE – Abby Eller (3)
  • WAT – Chloe Wilson (2)
  • ASHE – Addi Williams (2)
  • ASHE – Ava Mahala (2)

 

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