CHARMCO (WVDN) – Greenbrier West began their week last Tuesday, Jan. 31, in Richwood. The Cavaliers had defeated the Lumberjacks in their season opener and were looking to stop a three-game slide. They achieved their goal in grand fashion, dealing Richwood a 95-51 defeat in the Little Red Gym.
Dale Boone registered 21 points and nine rebounds in the win, drilling four 3-pointers in the process. Michael Kanode also tallied 21 points while pulling down eight rebounds. The Cavaliers had three other players in double-figures. Braydon McClung scored 18 points, Tanner Hagy had 12, and Kadin Parker set his career-high with 11.
West bolted out to a 23-13 first quarter lead. The Cavaliers outscored the Lumberjacks 26-17 in the second quarter for a 19-point halftime advantage. The Greenbrier West defense forced 20 turnovers which, in turn, led to 25 transition points. The most impressive stat of the night was West’s 44 points in the paint. The Cavaliers dominated Richwood inside, pulling down 38 defensive rebounds.
Greenbrier West ran their winning streak over Richwood to 15 straight with the win. West improved to 5-10 with the victory.
GW: 23 26 26 19 – 95
RW: 13 17 7 14 – 51
Greenbrier West – Dale Boone 21, Michael Kanode 21, Braydon McClung 18, Tanner Hagy 12, Kadin Parker 11, Asher Barclay 5, Chris Davis 3, Damian Dixon 2, Matthew Thomas 2. Totals: 32 21-31 95.
Richwood – Grant Russell 13, Trae Trivolette 12, Cooper Donahue 10, Aiden Miller 7, Tyler Barnhouse 7, Dakota O’Dell 2. Totals: 16 16-26 51.
3-pointers – GW: 10 (Boone 4, Parker 3, Hagy 3); RW: 3 (Russell, Donahue, Miller).
Later that week in Charmco, Greenbrier West fell short in a valiant fourth quarter comeback attempt, dropping a 64-62 decision to Midland Trail. Down by 2 points with 12.3 seconds remaining, the Cavaliers rebounded a missed free throw and got off two game-winning attempts and one game-tying attempt in their final possession.
Midland Trail built an early 12-point lead in a game that they never trailed. Patriot junior Eli Campbell hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 8 in the frame. Braydon McClung matched Campbell with 8 points, but Trail led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter. The two teams played a nearly even second quarter, but the Patriots led 32-26 at the half.
By the end of the third quarter, Midland Trail had built their advantage to 46-39. Tanner Hagy had 5 points for Greenbrier West, but Matt Light matched Hagy’s effort. Michael Kanode had 4 third-quarter points.
Midland Trail stretched its lead to 9 points at the start of the fourth quarter before West mounted its comeback attempt. Kadin Parker threaded the needle on a long pass to Kanode resulting in a layup. Two possessions later, Parker stole a midcourt pass and drifted in for a Cavalier transition basket. On Trail’s next possession, Kanode blocked a Jaden Gladwell shot toward the corner. Boone leapt out of bounds and turned in midair to save the ball, scooping it back to Kanode. Kanode dished to McClung who swooped in for the layup. After a Perry make for Trail, Parker dropped in a 3 to cut the deficit to 2.
The Patriots stretched their lead back to 5, but West would continue to battle. McClung converted a conventional 3-point opportunity then tied the game on a drive from the left side. Light put Trail back in the lead, but Boone sliced to the basket with a baseline drive and a high kiss of the glass with 1:40 remaining to knot things up at 60.
Cody Harrell got a corner 3 to fall for Trail with 1:13. Kanode answered with a layup between three Patriot defenders with :50 ticks left on the clock. With only three fouls, the Cavaliers had fouls to give. As the Patriots worked to use up the clock, West fouled until their total reached seven, sending Harrel to the line with a 1-point advantage. Harrel sank the first free throw but missed the second, giving West their three-shot opportunity at the end.
McClung led Greenbrier West with 19 points. Kanode registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, his fifth of the season. Boone tallied 7 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Hagy scored 11.
The Cavaliers dropped to 5-11 with the loss. Midland Trail swept the series with Greenbrier West for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
MT: 18 14 14 18 – 64
GW: 13 13 13 23 – 62
Midland Trail – Matt Light 17, Eli Campbell 15, Cody Harrell 10, Jaden Gladwell 8, Justin Cooper 8, T.C. Perry 6 Totals: 24 11-13 64.
Greenbrier West – Braydon McClung 19, Michael Kanode 12, Tanner Hagy 11, Dale Boone 7, Kadin Parker 5, Matthew Thomas 2, Isaac Agee 2, Chris Davis 2, Asher Barclay 2. Totals: 25 9-11 62.
3-pointers – MT: 5 (Campbell 3, Light, Harrell); GW: 3 (Boone, Parker, Hagy)
Finally, Greenbrier West traveled to Hinton’s historic Perry Memorial Gymnasium for a Saturday evening matchup with Meadow Bridge. The Wildcats, without a gym during the construction of their new school, chose the nearby venue for their “home” site. The Cavaliers last played at the old Hinton High location on Jan. 11, 1994, a span of 10,616 days.
Dale Boone led all scorers with 30 points, his third 30-plus point outburst this season and tied his career-high with six 3-pointers. Boone also collected nine rebounds in the win giving him a string of five straight games with at least nine boards. Michael Kanode recorded another double-double effort, pouring in 10 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Chris Davis scored 8 points and collected six rebounds. Braydon McClung scored 9. Matthew Thomas knocked down two 3-pointers for 6 points.
The Cavaliers steadily put the Wildcats away with a barrage of 3-pointers, matching their season-high of 10 set only four days earlier in the win at Richwood. With the win, West has now beaten Meadow Bridge nine straight times dating back to Jan. 13, 2017.
Greenbrier West improved to 6-11, heading to Webster County on Monday.
GW: 20 15 20 18 – 73
MB: 10 11 8 10 – 39
Greenbrier West – Dale Boone 30, Michael Kanode 10, Braydon McClung 9, Chris Davis 8, Matthew Thomas 6, Asher Barclay 3, Tanner Hagy 2, Damian Dixon 2, Kaiden Parker 2. Totals: 26 12-16 73.
Meadow Bridge – Brycen Sawyers 13, Conner Mullins 8, Dakota Hayes 8, Conner Chester 6, Cordell McClung 4. Totals: 16 4-8 39.
3-pointers – GW: 10 (Boone 6, Thomas 2, Parker, Davis); MB: 3 (Chester 2, Mullins)
