Van Buren senior Avery Salisbury displays his versatility in win over Greenwood

Van Buren boys coach Brad Autry dug way back in the memory banks to find a comparison for his versatile senior, Avery Salisbury. “When I was growing up, there was a college near me that had a really good player named Bernard Hill,” Autry said. “I still remember it. On his position on the roster, it had 'All.' That’s what we have for Avery: 'All.'” Saturday, Salisbury scored 26 points to lead Van Buren to a 50-46 win over Greenwood in a make-up game at Clair Bates Arena. Salisbury also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and at times played point guard. “I need him to initiate it, pass it, catch it and shoot it,” Autry said. “He’s doing a little bit of everything. He’s playing every position." The Pointers converted 9-of-12 shots from the floor in the second quarter, paced by Salisbury’s four treys, including a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer that had Van Buren up 36-29. “The buzzer-beater was the heat check,” Salisbury said. “Something that coach always said is heavy is the head that wears the crown. I just listen to that and take it personally.” Salisbury started an 8-0 run that put Van Buren up for good with a trey with 2:18 left in the half, followed by a 3-pointer by Jose Estrada and a driving bucket by Brandon Miller. Salisbury, Estrada, Miller and Trevor Day are the four seniors left on the team after four players left over the past month. “We’re the four horsemen,” Salisbury said. “We’re the only four that’s left. We try to carry the team and lead.” They will be counted on considerably in February for the second half of the 5A-West slate. “With our lineup the way it is, we battled fatigue and got some guys some rest,” Autry said. “Our guys handled it really well.” The win put Van Buren back in the middle of the conference pack along with Greenwood and Greenbrier, as well as snapping a three-game conference losing streak for the Pointers. “We had lost three in a row, but we still have confidence,” Salisbury said. “We’re still figuring it out. We never really didn’t have confidence. It was a must win for us. It was a good win.” Up next for the Pointers is another busy week with road games at Siloam Springs and Mountain Home with a homecoming game vs Greenbrier in between.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Van Buren High School Athletics

VAN BUREN SENIOR AVERY SALISBURY DISPLAYS HIS VERSATILITY IN WIN OVER GREENWOOD

LELAND BARCLAY

Times Record | 2/1/2021

PHOTO CREDIT: Amanda Harp