CHARMCO – Greenbrier West battled River View until the bitter end Monday night, falling just a little short in a 53-48 defeat. Sometimes, the process can teach you a little more than the outcome. West played inspired basketball in front of a raucous home crowd and showed a lot of grit in battling the Lady Raiders evenly for 30 minutes. It was the last two minutes that slipped away from Greenbrier West, dropping the Cavaliers to 3-7 on the season.
The first quarter was a story in and of itself. River View got off to a quick start behind six points from junior guard Katie Bailey. The Raiders built a 12-4 advantage, but Greenbrier West wouldn’t fold. The Cavaliers turned the wick up with some pressure defense. West converted two Raiders turnovers into baskets and helped Greenbrier West end the quarter on a modest, but important, 4-0 run. The result was a 12-8 River View lead after one quarter.
The second quarter surge for Greenbrier West was led by a group of freshmen. Abigail Thomas knocked down two baskets, Preslee Treadway added a bucket, and Maddi Fields nailed a big three-pointer to draw the Cavaliers within one of the visiting Raiders. With two starters out due to injury, the youthful contribution was a welcomed addition to the Cavalier offense. Meagan Poticher added the other basket for the Cavaliers, helping West outscore the visitors 11-9 in the quarter. River View had multiple chances to build on their lead, but 1-6 shooting from the free throw line helped keep the Cavaliers close. Greenbrier West trailed 21-19 at the break.
The third quarter was much of the same from the line for River View as the Lady Raiders shot a paltry 2-7. Haylie Payne led River View with four points in the stanza, but West cut the lead to one with three points each from Treadway and Poticher. West had their own free throw woes in the quarter, shooting a chilly 3-11. The Cavaliers took their only lead of the night late in the quarter but River View fought back and clung to a 31-30 lead at the end of three.
River View was unable to run away from Greenbrier West, but the Cavaliers were never able to regain the lead. The Raiders were up by four with a little over two minutes left in the game when Fields hit her second three-pointer of the game. The Cavalier momentum would be silenced when Bailey took advantage of two missed defensive assignments for easy layups. Poticher would tack on two late free throws for the Cavaliers, but it would be too little, too late.
Poticher, Treadway, and Thomas had 11 points apiece for Greenbrier West. River View’s Bailey led all scorers with 18 points while Payne and Ali Morgan chipped in with 11 each. The Raiders, who improved to 5-5 on the season, have floated just outside of the AP Top Ten all season. For Greenbrier West, it was the third straight game they’ve shown much-improved play. The Cavaliers averaged only 26.4 points-per-game in their first five losses. In their last two losses, West has averaged 48 points.
Greenbrier West hosts Tygarts Valley Thursday night at 6 P.M. The Bulldogs defeated the Cavaliers 51-30 in a physical contest on December 3. The game will be varsity-only and will be broadcast on Oldies 93, WKCJ, RadioGreenbrier.com, and the Oldies 93 Facebook page.
RV (5-5): 12 9 10 22 – 53
GW (3-7): 8 11 11 18 – 48
River View 53
Katie Bailey 18, Haylie Payne 11, Ali Morgan 11, Kaylee Blankenship 6, Abigail Pruitt 5, Trista Lester 1, Chloe Mitchem 1. Totals: 20 (13-37) 53.
Greenbrier West 48
Meagan Poticher 11, Abigail Thomas 11, Preslee Treadway 11, Maddi Fields 6, Ava Barclay 5, Brooke Nutter 2, Raelyn Palmer 2. Totals: 19 (8-26) 48.
3-pointers – RV: None; GW: 2 (Fields 2)
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