CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – A dream season came to an end for the Greenbrier West Lady Cavaliers on Tuesday, March 7, in the Class A quarterfinals of the state tournament in Charleston.
After a first half that saw them with the lead, the Lady Cavaliers just could not muster the offense needed to snatch a victory from the 5th-seeded Webster County Highlanders.
The final score was 55-34.
Webster’s Hannah Wayne got the scoring started with a jumper, but Preslee Treadway answered a few possessions later that tied the score at 2-all. Maddie Fields then hit back-to-back buckets for the Lady Cavaliers, but Wayne answered again with another long 2-pointer, and Webster County led 7-6. Treadway gave West an 8-7 lead after a basket inside, and a nice play from Ava Barclay resulted in 2 more points. A missed free throw from Barclay on that same possession was grabbed by the Cavs, and Treadway scored 2 and got fouled, and the Cavs were taking momentum with a 13-7 lead.
The lead was 13-9 after one.
West went ice cold in the second quarter and struggled to get a single shot to fall from the field. Sydney Baird, a 31 point per game scorer, hit two shots for Webster County, and Treadway finally ended an 8-0 run with a free throw that cut the Highlanders’ lead to 15-14 with 4:00 left in the first half. Two free throws from Barclay knotted the score at 16-16. After two Josie Mathes free throws put Webster County up by 2, Abigail Thomas and Treadway scored consecutive buckets to the end the half, and West led 20-18 at the break.
West’s lead was rather amazing considering they made just two field goals in the second period and did not score a point for an 8-minute span.
The second half did not treat West as well as they hoped.
Baird got hot early in the third, and the Highlander defense continued to be stifling to the West offense. Baird put up 11 points in the third and allowed the Cavs just 6 points in the quarter, as Webster Co. built a 33-26 lead headed to the fourth.
Maddie Fields tried her best to keep West in the contest, as she put up 7 points early in the fourth, but it was way too much Baird for the Highlanders. The West Virginia Wesleyan commit put up 29 second-half points and single handedly carried her team to the victory.
The Cavs had numerous scoring droughts which ultimately cost them the chance to stay within striking distance.
Fields led West with 11 points. Treadway finished with 10, but the Cavs shot just 13-59 from the field.
Baird had 33 points to pace the Highlanders.
The Cavaliers end the season with a record of 18-6.