OAK HILL- After two consecutive losses in the Battle for the Springhouse over the weekend, the Greenbrier East Spartans wanted to weather the storm and end their short two-game skid when they traveled to Oak Hill on Wednesday night, Feb. 4.
And after a relatively slow start, the Spartans controlled the second half rather handily and walked away with a gutsy 56-47 road victory.
East got valuable minutes from reserve Brodrik Gunter and for his efforts, was named the Magic’s Computers Repair player of the game by the crew at 103.1, WRON.
The Spartans (9-5) fell behind 8-0 early as the Red Devils came out hot and determined, but East followed with nine straight points of their own including a Brody Hamric 3 to make the score 9-8, East. Oak Hill ran their lead back out to 20-12, but Gunter’s jumper at the end of the quarter ended the first period with the Spartans down 20-14.
Nathan Dixon opened the second quarter with a triple and a couple possessions later, Darius Burns did the same. Then, the pesky Red Devils scored the next five points on a Tom Jones 3 and a Brent Conley basket, but Hamric answered with five points of his own to pull the Spartans within two at 27-25 at the break.
Greenbrier East used an 8-2 run to start the second half that included four points form Sam Hawver, one basket on a nice assist from Burns. Later in the quarter with just under two minutes left, Gunter took a pass from Hamric and drained a quick release 3 from the right wing to give East a 42-38 lead.
That score remained until the fourth quarter began.
Midway through that fourth and final period with the Spartans clinging to a 4-point, 44-40 lead after multiple scoreless possessions, Gunter blocked Oak Hill’s Antoine Hicks then brought the ball down the court and knocked down a midrange jumper for a 46-40 Spartan lead. Dubya Vickers, who played tough underneath all night, then scored two and Hamric’s two free throws made it 50-40 with 1:30 left.
Gunter and Burns each hit a pair of free throws down the stretch to put the nail in the Red Devil’s coffin.
Oak Hill dropped to 2-9 on the season.
Hamric led East with 17 points and Dixon had 14. Gunter added 9 and Burns pitched in 7.
Jones led Oak Hill with 13 points. Ivan Purdue had 11.
The Spartans played without starting center Braylen Godfrey who sat out after having his wisdom teeth removed.
