Ava Owens
Courtesy photo
PICKENS — The Pickens High School Lady Blue Flame basketball team defeated region foe Walhalla by 20 points in the Lady Razorbacks’ gym against an opponent that was at the time rated No. 9 in the state in 4A by a statewide poll.
“That was a great game and I was so proud of all of them,” said Rikki Owens, Lady Blue Flame basketball coach. “The biggest victory in our win at Walhalla was our team coming together to believe in our offense and believe in ourselves. We saw the payoff of multiple games of trying new things, and during the Walhalla game we reaped the benefits of those efforts. Everyone contributed, and that was our biggest game-changer.”
Going into the game at Walhalla Jan. 11, the 9-5 Lady Razorbacks were ranked No. 9 in the most recent 4A girls’ basketball poll by the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association. (Region 1A opponent Westside was rated No. 1 in 4A in the same poll, meaning two of Pickens’ four region opponents were rated in the Top 10 in South Carolina.)
The Lady Blue Flame jumped on Walhalla early, leading 16-5 at the end of the first quarter. They never looked back, finishing the game with a stunning 52-32 victory. “It was a huge win,” Owens said.
Eighth-grade guard Ava Owens had another triple-double for the Lady Blue Flame against Walhalla, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 steals. Freshman center Sadie McKinney added nine points, and senior forward Caroline Lucas contributed eight points, six rebounds and four assists.
The Lady Blue Flame’s record now stands at 8-4 on the season, 1-0 in Region 1A.
The scheduled Tuesday evening game at home against Easley was postponed due to weather conditions and school being virtual. The next scheduled contest for the Lady Blue Flame is Friday evening in Travelers Rest. The Pickens’ girls then face No. 1 Westside Tuesday, Jan. 25 in the friendly confines of Coach Peggy Harden Anthony Gymnasium on the Pickens High campus.