Polk continued its winning streak in the Western Highlands Conference with a 63-54 win over Owen Jan. 15.

The Wolverines started out 0-2 in the conference but have won three out of their last four to even their record at 3-3. Once again balanced scoring and pressure defense were keys to the victory.

Polk had four players in double figures (see stats below) and Coach Josh McEntire said he felt the defense kept them in the game until the shots started falling for the Wolverines.

“We played really good defense, but for the first two quarters our offense was almost non-existent,” he said. “We could not make any shots and were taking tough shots, but we kept playing defense and wore them down and took over at the end.”

After falling behind 27-24 at the half Polk continued to play good defense and led 40-38 at the end of the third quarter. However, the game was tied early in the fourth quarter then but Polk went on a critical 9-0 run.

They maintained the lead throughout the fourth quarter which forced Owen to abandon its zone defense (which had been effective). This worked in Polk’s favor and at one point the Wolverines were up by as many as 14 points.

Coach McEntire feels the team exhibited a level of maturity they need as they hit the middle of conference play.

“A month ago we probably would have lost this game. They (Owen) set in the zone and got us frustrated….. but we just kept playing hard and kept them from making any runs, kept the game close and then finally took the game over,” he said.

The next game at Hendersonville will be a big challenge.

“They are undefeated in the conference and probably have two of the best guards in the mountain region with Rogers and Felton. They are a good solid team and a fast paced team like we like to play.”

He emphasized it will be important for Polk not to give up any big runs which Hendersonville is known for this season.

Game Stats
Polk County 63, Owen 54
Owen: 13;14;9;18 — 54
Polk: 16;8;16;23 — 63

Polk: Saquan Miller 12, Alec Philpott 11, Jamal Tanner 11, Anthony Carson 11, Smith 6, Stockdale 6, Mullis 6
Jamal Tanner had 9 assists and 5 steals while Jordan Smith had 7 rebounds followed by Saquan Miller with 6.
Polk’s record is now  7-9, 3-3 WHC. The Wolverines play their next game tonight at Hendersonville.