The Ava Lady Bears took on the Lady Bears of Willow Springs in the district championship game last Friday night at Cabool, and held on to beat the Willow Bears 65-51 to advance in state play.
The Lady Bears were on the road to West Plains Wednesday afternoon and would face Kennett in state sectional play at 7:45 Wednesday night.
With a win at West Plains, the Lady Bears would advance to the quarterfinals at Poplar Bluff High School on Saturday, March 12. That game will begin at 2:45 p.m.
The win Friday night gave the Lady Bears back-to-back district championships, but represented the first for first-year head coach Clint Gazette. It is also the first time Ava has played in District 2.
Ava took a 10-0 lead over Willow Springs on Friday night and held a 24-9 lead after one quarter. Ava led Willow 34-20 at halftime.
Jorie Garrett had 30 points and 12 rebounds and Payton Lakey added 18 points and eight rebounds to lead the Ava girls.
Bethany Horn added 7 points, Melissa Coonts 4, Kristen Hastings 4, and Abbie Lansdown 2.
Ava shot better than 44 percent from the field and out-rebounded Willow Springs 35-15. The Ava girls had 14 offensive rebounds which contributed to 22 points in the paint.
The Ava girls got to the championship game by running past Cabool, 64-30, on Wednesday night, March 2.
Lakey led the Lady Bears with 22 points and nine rebounds on Wednesday. Garrett had nine points, six rebounds and seven assists, and Horn had nine points and six rebounds.
Others scoring for Ava were Hastings 8, Coonts 5, Emily Sterling 4, Lansdown 4, Hannah Jonson 2 and Kayley Watson 1 point.
Ava led Cabool 36-18 at halftime and expanded that lead to 56-27 after three periods of play.
Ava had 30 rebounds, including 12 in the offensive court.
The Lady Bears were 24-5 heading into the state sectional game on Wednesday. Kennett entered the game undefeated at 26-0.
