FAIRLEA- The Spartan Gym was the place to be on Friday night when as the top ranked team in AAA, the Greenbrier East Lady Spartans, welcomed in their biggest rivals, the 5th rated team in AAAA, the Woodrow Wilson Lady Flying Eagles.
And for the third game in a row, Greenbrier East made taking out a top 10 team look relatively easy.
The Spartans knocked in 12 threes as a team, including eight from senior Kennedy Stewart, and rolled to a huge 86-58 win.
The victory puts East’s record now at 8-0.
In their last game against Martinsburg, another top 10 AAAA school, Greenbrier East used their defense as their biggest weapon. But against the Eagles, it was the offense that stood out.
Ava Workman put East up 2-0 early on a jumper and a couple possessions later, she found Hannah Fuller for an easy bucket under the basket. Then, trailing 11-10 after Woodrow’s Zoey Williams knocked in a 3, Stewart answered with one of her own and a 13-11 Spartan lead.
It was that trey that got things going for the West Virginia Wesleyan commit. Stewart hit another one about a minute later and her teammate, Kala Waller, came off the bench and drained a buzzer-beating trey that gave the Lady Spartans a 23-18 lead after one quarter.
Stewart opened the second with another trifecta and for the most part, the rout was on. Workman followed with four straight free throws and then Stewart hit her fourth 3-pointer of the night that extended the East lead to 33-20 halfway through the second quarter.
A three-point play from Workman, a two from Waller, and another Stewart triple gave East a 45-34 halftime advantage.
The Lady Spartans used a 5-0 run to open the third quarter and following a 3 from Beckley’s Karsyn Gunter, went on another mini 8-0 run capped by a Mackenna McClure free throw. East had grown their lead at that point to 58-37.
The Spartans never let up from that point on. Stewart continued to hit shots from beyond the arc, Fuller controlled the painted area, Sandy Banton knocked in a couple deep balls, and McClure, Workman, and Regan Rink did what they always do to keep Greenbrier East in control.
Stewart finished 8-of-14 from 3-point land for 28 points. Workman added 19 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. Fuller had 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Gunter led Woodrow with 19 points and Donya Burton added 18.
No matter the opponent, at least so far into the season, The Lady Spartans are punishing them, particularly in the second half of games. In their last three second halves, East has outscored their opponents 108-51.
The Lady Spartans are back home on Saturday night, Jan. 3 and will face Phillip Barbour.
