CHARMCO – Greenbrier West came up three points shy in a furious rally attempt Tuesday night against Hedgesville. The Cavaliers went 5-9 from the foul line in the decisive fourth quarter and fell short 51-48 to drop their third consecutive game after a 5-0 start to the season.
Greenbrier West’s two leading scores for the night, Kamden Sams and Shane Plogger, each contributed four points in the opening quarter. Hayden Major countered with four points for the Eagles and a Caron Buhrman three-pointer helped Hedgesville take a slim 10-8 lead after one quarter. The Cavaliers and Eagles played through three ties and one lead change in the quarter.
Sams and sophomore Carter Vandall each knocked down a three-pointer in the second quarter, but the Eagles got threes from McCabe Corbin and Brennen Townshend. Sams led all scorers in the quarter with six points, but the Hedgesville duo put up five points apiece helping the Eagles to a 22-19 halftime advantage.
Vandall started the third quarter with a game-tying three pointer, but Corbin answered on Hedgesville’s next possession and the Cavaliers would trail the remainder of the game. Corbin heated up for the visitors in the third quarter and drilled four three-pointers on his way to 16 points in the frame. West managed 14 points, four each from Vandall, Plogger, and senior Colton Dunbar. Dunbar had navigated the first half marvelously on defense and started the second half without a foul. The senior center had to sit, though, with a little over two and half minutes to go in the quarter when he picked up his third personal foul. The Eagles outscored the Cavaliers 20-14 to stretch their lead to 42-33 when the horn sounded.
Defensive pressure has been one of West’s calling cards this season and the intense, man-to-man shadowing caused Hedgesville to lose a little composure. Transition baskets from Plogger and Sams created opportunities from the foul line, but the Cavaliers were unable to completely capitalize and could only cut Hedgesville’s lead to three points. Plogger tallied seven points and Sams added six, but the white-hot Corbin added five more to his game-high total of 26 points, keeping West at bay. The Cavaliers had one final opportunity to make a stop and get off a game-tying shot with one second remaining, but Hedgesville’s inbounds play didn’t allow for a final turnover.
Kamden Sams led the way for Greenbrier West for 16 points and 3 rebounds. Plogger added a 15-point, 3–rebound effort followed by Carter Vandall’s seven points. Vandall had a team-high six rebounds. Colton Dunbar registered six points and three rebounds, Jesse Walkup two points and two rebounds, and Logan Berry closed out the Cavaliers’ scoring with two points and a rebound. West was 18-37 (49%) from the field, 15-27 from two, 3-10 from three, and 9-19 (47%) from the foul line.
Hedgesville’s Corbin led the way with 26 points. Hayden Major added eight points, Caron Buhrman and Brennen Townshend each had five points, Kai Rhodes four, Carter Boyd two, and Caron Clark one. The Eagles shot 17-36 from the floor including 7-20 from three (35%) and 10-14 from the foul line (71%).
Greenbrier West heads to the Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center this Thursday to face Class A #9 Man at 2:45 P.M. in the New River CTC Invitational. They return to Beckley Friday evening at 4:30 P.M. to square off with new Class A, Region III adversary Sherman.
Class 4A Hedgesville, now 3-3, travels to Jefferson Friday night at 7:30.
