Ava girls basketball is the unbeaten SCA champion for the second year in a row after defeating Salem 54-36 on Thursday.
The Bears started fast with a 17-9 advantage after the first quarter and 29-13 lead at the half. Salem scored half of its 36 points in the fourth quarter.
Keeley Akers led Ava and all scores with 23 points. Olivia Gastineau also scored in double figures for Ava with 11 points.
Savannah Manthey (17 points) and Ashton Bowers (10 points) led Salem.
Ava has one more regular season game against Forsyth on Monday before opening district play on Mar. 2 as the No. 1 seed in Class 4 District 11. The Bears will face the winner of Willow Springs and Buffalo at 6 pm at Mountain Grove.
Salem will host St. Clair on Monday before opening play in the Class 4 District 3 tournament at St. James.
Salem – 9-4-5-18 – 36
Ava – 17-12-14-11 – 54
S: Savannah Manthey 17, Ashton Bowers 10, Avery Erway 5, Fayth Kaminksi 2, Emily Strange 2
A: Keeley Akers 23, Lexie Gastineau 11, Sara Mendel 9, Celia Fossett 7, Emma Smith 2, Olivia Gastineau 2
