After several cancellations over the last couple of weeks, the Greenbrier East Lady Spartans returned home to Spartan Gym and hosted the Jefferson Lady Cougars on Saturday, January 22 in a battle of top teams.
Unfortunately for the Spartans, the Cougars came in and executed their game plan to perfection and headed back to Shenandoah with a clutch 61-54 victory.
The game was neck-and-neck the whole way through and until late in the fourth quarter, the largest lead for either team was six points. But in the end, Jefferson hit some key shots and nailed their free throws down the stretch to seal the deal.
The Cougars (6-1) boasted a complete lineup with two quick guards, length at the forward positions and and a tall and strong girl in the middle in the form of Olivia Hedrick.
Hedrick had a big first quarter and scored inside early to give Jefferson a 4-0 lead. Justus Lee then stole a pass at the top of the key and Jefferson led 6-0 just like that.
East’s Cadence Stewart got an and-1 opportunity that she converted, then made a driving basket and capped off her personal run with a deep 3-pointer, and the Spartans (8-3) took a 9-8 lead with 2:42 left.
The Cougars closed out the quarter with a Hedrick jumper and a Jazmine Taylor bank shot and the Spartans trailed 16-11 after one.
Allie Dunford hit a foul line jumper to begin the second quarter, but minutes later when the Cougars’ T’asya Jay scored, Jim Justice called a timeout and had his players ran short suicides in front of the bench to try and send a message for them to wake up. Outside of Daisha Summers scoring all but two East points the rest of the way, the strategy never stopped Jefferson. Heaven Murray drilled a trey and Lee got one right before half for the Cougars 27-24 lead at the break.
Summers scored the first four for the Spartans in the second half and gave her team the lead at 28-27, but five consecutive points from McKenzi Brezavec put the Cougars back in front.
After Lee’s driving layup put Jefferson up 38-33, Caroline Dotson answered with a left-wing three. But Murray then answered with a 3-pointer of her own. Summers closed the quarter strong as the Spartans trailed by just one, 41-40 heading to the fourth period.
Stewart hit a shot from downtown to tie the contest at 43-all then things got a little testy.
On a rebound attempt, Dotson got tied up with Hedrick and Hedrick was not happy about it. Then it happened again and both players got hit with double technical fouls. Minutes later, Dotson hit another three to pull East within 47-46 with 3:05 left, but Murray answered with a triple, then Murray got a steal and finished on the other end. She added another trifecta two possessions later and the Spartans never could get closer. Jefferson hit their free throws to close out the game.
Summers had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead East. Stewart had 15 points and five rebounds. Brooke Davis pulled down 10 boards.
Murray led Jefferson with 22 points. Lee added 15.
Stats courtesy of 95.3, WRON.
