CHARMCO – Greenbrier West head coach Jared Robertson says it’s always hard to beat a team the second time around. The team that lost the first game will adjust. The team that won the first game might not want to tinker with what worked previously. In Charmco Thursday night, we saw a little bit of both as Greenbrier West extended its winning streak over intercounty rival Meadow Bridge to 16 straight games with a 63-50 Region III quarterfinal victory.
The two teams met back on February 6, and Greenbrier West used a strong second half effort to run away from the Wildcats in that contest. A 24-19 Cavalier halftime lead turned into a 72-44 final that West dominated in every key statistical category. On Thursday night in the Co-Final, West leveraged a strong second quarter into an insurmountable lead that wasn’t without some fireworks. Despite leading Meadow Bridge 40-20 at halftime, Greenbrier West was outscored 20-10 in the third quarter and saw their massive lead cut in half. Down the stretch, free throws became a key component of the Cavalier victory when they knocked down 6-of-8 foul shots to keep the Wildcats at bay.
The first quarter was an entertaining session of basketball with both teams holding the lead at some point. The Cavaliers collected three three-pointers, one each from Kamden Sams, Isaac Crane, and Jesse Walkup. Colton Dunbar was also on point with a field goal and 2-2 free throw shooting. Even with the success West had early, Meadow Bridge had a chance to tie the game up as the first quarter ended when Jonah Fox was fouled as time expired in the quarter. Down by three, Fox would hit the first of three free throws before missing the last two, preserving a 15-13 first quarter lead for the Cavaliers.
The senior duo of Dunbar and Sams led the way in the second quarter. Dunbar worked the lane efficiently and poured in eight points. Sams connected on a pair of three-pointers to go along with two field goals for a ten-point quarter. Shane Plogger and Ben McDaniel contributed three points each as Greenbrier West laid 25 points on the Wildcats. Bow Wykle came off the bench to score four points for Meadow Bridge, but the visitors could only muster seven points on 3-9 free throw shooting. The Wildcats were 4-12 from the line at halftime while West was shooting at an 83% clip, 5-6, with Plogger and Dunbar both perfect from the line.
The 40-20 lead seemed like a steep mountain for the Wildcats to climb, but Brandon Wickline’s team rallied behind 12 points from junior Trent Roles. Roles was 4-9 from the field but went 5-6 from the free throw line as Meadow Bridge steadily climbed back into the game. Plogger hit a pair of baskets for Greenbrier West, while Dunbar and Carter Vandall scored 2 and 3 points, respectively. The three-point well went dry for the Cavaliers, though, as Sams, Plogger, Crane, and senior Logan Berry all missed. Meadow Bridge couldn’t score from three either, going 0-4, but Fox added four points to the Trent Roles effort. Baskets by Trip Roles and Cory Cooper helped Meadow Bridge trim the lead to ten, 50-40, by the end of the third quarter.
The Wildcats weren’t finished and could smell an upset brewing. Cutting the lead to eight points, Keaton Rozell became a key player for Meadow Bridge, drilling a pair of three-point shots. The comeback was cut short, though, mainly on the strength of West free throw shooting, a fact that made Coach Robertson a relieved if not happy individual and game’s end. Maligned for most of the season, West’s foul shooting hovered around 51%. The Cavaliers dropped 6-8 free throws through the hoop for a 75% clip in the fourth quarter. For the game, Greenbrier West shot 13-18 for 72%. West was also at 50% on field goal percentage for the game to only 36% for Meadow Bridge.
Colton Dunbar finished the game with a double-double, 14 points and 12 rebounds. His rebounding total pushed him over 500 rebounds in three seasons at Greenbrier West. Kamden Sams and Shane Plogger each scored 15 for the Cavaliers. Carter Vandall tallied six points, eight rebounds, and a blocked shot. Isaac Crane scored six and collected three rebounds. Jesse Walkup had a four-point, four-rebound night. Ben McDaniel had three points and three blocked shots.
Trent roles led Meadow Bridge with 15 points, followed by Jonah Fox with 13, Keaton Rozell with nine, and Bow Wykle with six. Trip Roles added five points, and Cory Cooper completed the Wildcat scoring with two.
Greenbrier West improves to 13-9 and will travel to #1 seed Greater Beckley Christian next Wednesday night at 7pm. The Crusaders eliminated Mount View 72-58 in Prosperity. Greenbrier West and Greater Beckley last met on March 1, 2019, in the Class A, Region III, Section II championship. Despite falling behind 17-8 at the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers stormed back to defeat Greater Beckley 64-59 and advanced to the regional championship for the first time since 2013.
