FAIRLEA- Playing their first game of the young season while being ranked number 1 in Class AAA went rather well for the Greenbrier East Lady Spartans on Friday night against Lord Botetourt (VA).
East got off to a hot start thanks in part to Kennedy Stewart’s downtown shooting and a pressure defense that the Lady Cavaliers could not quite figure out.
The Cavs won the Class 3 Virginia state title a year ago, but after losing a couple key pieces from that team, they weren’t ready for what the Lady Spartans would put on the court.
Greenbrier East (4-0) started the game on a 9-0 run capped by a 3 from Stewart and Lord Botetourt called a quick timeout. Even though they settled down a little bit, the Cavaliers still could not contain the hot shooting. The Spartans never let up and got production from multiple players. Ava Workman scored five in the quarter, Hannah Fuller had six, and Mackenna McClure knocked in a corner trifecta as well.
After one quarter, the Lady Spartans led 21-7.
Stewart would knock down a couple more from downtown in the second and the Spartans did a good job establishing Fuller down low to put pressure on the Cavaliers big girls, Maggie Cooper and Ava Stevens.
East built a 39-12 lead at halftime.
Coach Jim Justice got some subs in halfway through the third period once the score continued to escalate in the Spartans favor.
The starters did return until early in the fourth when they finally exited the floor to loud cheers from the big crowd that was on hand.
Stewart scored a game-high 28 points and had 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Workman got 13 points, 6 steals, and 4 assists. Fuller finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds, and Sandy Banton grabbed 10 boards.
Hoover led Lord Botetourt (2-4) with 21 points.
The Lady Spartans will conclude their Virginia opponent weekend against the Covenant School on Saturday night, Dec. 20, and then will have a Christmas break for the next week-and-a-half.
