The Spartan Gym in Fairlea played host to a girls top 10 basketball showdown on Saturday, January 8 when Greenbrier East hosted the George Washington Lady Patriots in front of a large playoff atmosphere-like crowd.
After a competitive battle on both sides, the 5th ranked Spartans defeated the number nine Patriots 52-38.
Layla Pence got East on the board first when she scored off an offensive rebound, but GW (2-4) answered with their top player, Finley Lohan. Lohan scored the game’s next eight points on a deep 3-pointer, a pull-up jumper and a second shot from behind the arc. GW went up 10-4 before the Spartans finally started to settle in.
Four made free throws from Daisha Summers and Cadence Stewart pulled the Spartans closer, and after GW’s Allison Kelly swished a three, Summers scored on the other end and then took a charge on Lohan to give her a critical second foul early.
Summers nailed a three as well to end the first quarter as the score was tied at 13-13.
Summers then managed to score East’s first six points of the second quarter to give the Spartans a 19-18 lead with about five minutes remaining.
Caroline Dotson also came up big for East with two made free throws and a nice cut to the rim where she was rewarded with a basket on an assist from Allie Dunford. After that score, East led 23-20.
The score was 25-22, Spartans at the break.
East got off to a terrible shooting start in the third quarter and missed their first eight shots, but they controlled the glass and wore down the Patriots inside. Dunford made two from the charity stripe, Stewart hit a turnaround jumper and Summers scored underneath, and the Spartans had built a nice little 32-24 lead.
Dotson then added back-to-back baskets followed by another score inside from Summers, and East led 38-28 after three.
A Lohan 3-point bucket brought the Patriots to within six points at 44-38 with three minutes remaining in the game, but the Spartans stood tall and showed their experience. They went on an 8-0 run to close the game and secured an important victory over the team that usually keeps them from the state tournament.
East is now 8-2 overall, including 8-0 against teams from West Virginia. Their only losses came in a tournament in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Spartans forced 27 GW turnovers and converted those into 20 points. East also outscored the Patriots 30-10 in paint points and out rebounded them 45-33 as well.
East was just 1-of-18 from 3-point range.
Summers had 28 points, eight rebounds and five steals. Stewart scored just six points, but got six rebounds and seven steals. Dunford had six points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals, and Dotson was good off the bench with eight points and five rebounds.
Lohan led GW with 13 points.
East gets a few days off before hosting the Woodrow Wilson Lady Flying Eagles this Friday night, January 14.
Stats courtesy of 95.3, WRON.
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