They began playing basketball together in seventh grade for their Maine REACT AAU team and are now finishing their Bangor High School careers together before taking their basketball abilities to Husson University in Bangor next fall.
Bangor High School guards Avery Clark and Dalaney Horr have been an integral part of the basketball program for four years. And they are hoping to make a long run in the Class A North playoffs beginning with a 7 p.m. Friday game against Edward Little of Auburn at the Augusta Civic Center.
Clark and Horr were two of the top three scorers in Bangor’s conference, based on league statistics available in late January.
Clark was averaging 14.7 points per game and Horr was one of three players tied for second with 14.6 per game.
Clark was also second in steals per game at 4.1; fifth in assists (3.2) and eighth in rebounds (7.3) while Horr’s 33 3-pointers was second-most.
“They have been doing big things for us. They have been on varsity for four years,” said Bangor head coach Kristin Hermanson. “They are our sparks on defense, our offensive threats and our leaders. They go out every night and give everything they have all over the floor.”
The coach said she is glad the pair will get to play together in college, too.
“We work really well together,” Clark said. “She’s a great shooter so I try to find her for the shot. We play really hard together and encourage everybody on our team to play with us, too.”
Horr shared similar sentiments.
“We have great chemistry because Avery is really good at driving and she will also kick it out and vice versa,” said Horr, who is from Veazie. “It’s really good. We play off each other, defensively. It’s a lot of fun because we know each other.”
Clark said they know each other’s strengths so we “set up each other for what we can do best.”
Hampden Academy coach Nick Winchester said they are a top-notch duo.
“Dalaney is one of the best two-way guards in the conference,” Winchester said. “She is really good defensively and she can shoot the ball at all three levels. She can score off the three and can score off the drive.”
Winchester called Horr a “complete player” and said Clark is a “tough match-up from an athletic standpoint.”
“She is so quick and fast and relentless,” Winchester said about Clark. “She constantly puts pressure on you, defensively. You can’t relax. If you do, she is going to clean-up the glass and get an easy rebound and putback.”
Horr and Clark did discuss going to Husson together a bit.
“We were both really interested in the school,” said Clark whose father, Nat, is the head football coach at Husson. “So when we both decided to go there, it was great. We’re excited to play with each other.”
Clark also pointed out that two more of their AAU teammates will be their Husson classmates in the fall in Mattanawcook Academy’s Addison Cyr and Ellsworth’s Lizzie Boles.
“We’ve all played together and work really well together so that’s going to be exciting,” said Clark, who was a Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl team honorable mention last season.
Husson coach Kissy Walker is looking forward to having them in uniform next season.
“They’re pretty similar but a little bit different. I like their size. We have a handful of 5-foot-3, 5-4 guards and Dalaney and Avery are more like 5-8, 5-9,” said Walker. “Avery is always around the ball. She has a lot of energy. She never gets tired.”
Walker said Horr has been handling the point guard position at Bangor and she can also shoot and has the potential to provide her with a tall guard who can effectively defend the opponents’ top-scoring guard. That is a luxury Walker hasn’t had in several years.
She said they will both bring intensity to the floor and “the fact they have played together will be a good bonus for us.”
Both already have a state championship this season as they played for Bangor’s Class A state title-winning soccer team this past fall.
Clark was an all-conference, all-regional and all-New England fullback.
They are looking forward to the high school basketball tournament. The 13-5 Rams will enter it with five wins in their last six games after losing three straight when Clark was missing from the lineup due to injury.
“We’re going to work as hard as we can,” said Clark, who has since returned to the lineup.
When she was out, the Rams scored an average of only 25 points in losses to Old Town, Hampden Academy and Mt. Ararat of Topsham.
“Edward Little is a tough one, but we’re really excited,” Horr added.
