After an almost two-week layoff, the eighth-ranked Greenbrier East Spartans boys basketball team finally returned to the court on Thursday, March 25, against the Woodrow Wilson Flying Eagles, and then again on Saturday afternoon against the Pikeview Panthers.
East defeated Woodrow 59-45 and Pikeview 54-38.
The win over the Eagles was to put it lightly, monumental. It was just the fourth time in the last 45 years that East has won at the Raleigh County Convention Center.
William Gabbert got the scoring started with a corner 3-pointer then Bailee Coles followed that with another trey. Two possessions later, Coles drained another trifecta and the Spartans jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead.
The Spartans would go up 12-5 when Tucker Via made a nice pass to Gabbert for an old-fashioned three-point play.
However, the Eagles then went on a 9-2 run of their own and knotted the score at 14-all at the end of the first quarter.
A defensive-minded quarter was the story in the second as each team had trouble scoring the basketball. Both teams were also scrappy on defense and making it tough to do so.
Coles banked in a runner to give East a 19-16 lead midway through, but Maddex McMillan, also Beckley’s quarterback in football, hit a shot from distance a couple of minutes later to give Beckley their second lead of the night at 21-20.
But Coles made sure that lead was short-lived as he hit a driving layup at the buzzer and the Spartans led 22-21 at halftime.
Sam Aultz got East going in the third with an early three and Gabbert went coast-to-coast for a contested bucket and the Spartans held a 28-27 advantage early in the second half.
Coles would later drive and score after a steal, but shortly thereafter would leave the game for good after what has been called an “ankle injury.” He and his 25.5 points per game would not return.
However, the Spartans rallied together and put on one heck of a show in the fourth quarter.
Leading by just three points going into the final period after a buzzer-beating shot from Monquelle Davis, East flipped a switch.
Gabbert scored five quick points to open the quarter and countered a Jace Colucci 3-pointer with another three of his own. Two Quentin Wilson baskets sandwiched around yet another score from Gabbert gave East a 14-3 scoring run and a 53-38 lead late. The Spartans cruised the rest of the way and celebrated their huge win.
Some have said the Eagles are not as good this season as they typically are, but Saturday, before East’s win over Pikeview, Woodrow defeated the number 1 ranked team in Class AAAA, George Washington, so those thoughts have been put to rest and make the Spartans win that much more important and impressive.
Gabbert led the way with 22 points. Coles had 16 before his injury and Wilson put in nine, all in the second half.
Speaking of the Pikeview contest, the Spartans were down four regular starters (Adam Seams, Wilson, Coles and Goose Gabbert) and early on, it showed.
East got down 16-6 in the first quarter and looked completely out of sorts.
However, a W. Gabbert slam dunk in the second seemed to fuel some fire the team was lacking as the Spartans went on a 22-6 run to end the first half with a six-point lead.
Aaron Griffith got back-to-back buckets to open the second half as East extended their second scoring run to 14-0. Davis also stood out in the second half. He ran the floor and controlled the offense well and even hit the offensive glass a couple of times and scored.
The Spartans controlled the pace of the game the rest of the way outside of a small skirmish between Griffith and Pikeview’s Jake Colson late.
W. Gabbert once again led East with 29 points and went 4-8 from the three-point range. He was the only Spartan in double figures, but Davis came close with nine.
Colson and Dylan Blake led Pikeview with 10 points apiece.
The boys are scheduled to play four games this week including a return trip to play Pikeview again today, March 29.
According to East play-by-play announcer Jeff Campbell, Seams should return to the court for that one. The status of Coles, Goose and Wilson are unknown at this time.
The Spartans are now 5-1 on the season.
Stats courtesy of WV Video Productions and Radio Greenbrier.
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