It is extremely difficult to beat the same team three times in any season. No matter the sport, no matter the records, going 3-0 against one team in the same year is just tough to do.
And when that one team is coached by Jamie LaMaster, it becomes next to impossible.
The Greenbrier East Lady Spartans suffered a stunning 53-48 upset overtime loss to the George Washington Patriots on Wednesday, Mar. 2 in a contest that featured a little bit of everything from questionable officiating, injuries, scuffles and chanting from the student section.
With the loss, East’s season is now officially over with a record of 17-8, and what seemed like a high chance of a state tournament berth before tipoff, ended with flowing tears on the Spartan bench wondering what had gone wrong.
The Patriots (9-14) jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead behind the play of super sophomore Finley Lohan, but the Spartans knotted the score at 4-all with buckets from Brooke Davis and Daisha Summers.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Lohan and Kierstyn Fore gave the Patriots a six-point lead, but Summers, Cadence Stewart and Allie Dunford kept chugging along and kept East in it. After one quarter, the Spartans trailed just 15-14.
A back-and-forth second quarter saw the Spartans play hard and at times, well.
Dunford hit a short jumper, Stewart scored on a driving layup and then scored another one inside as well. However, the Patriots controlled the rebounding on the offensive end and just kept going to the free throw line. A Lohan offensive board put-back put GW up four, but Dunford and Layla Pence kept East right there at halftime with the Patriots leading 28-26.
The Spartans seemed to take all the momentum near the back end of the third period when Davis scored, hit two free throws and Dunford had a huge steal and score to give the Spartans a 38-35 lead after three.
After two Stewart free throws late in the fourth to put the Spartans up 45-40 with 1:19 to go, things basically fell apart for the Spartans.
Fore came wide open in the corner and drilled a three to pull GW within two at 45-43 then after a missed Davis free throw, Alaira Evans scored on the other end to tie it at 45 apiece, while fouling out Stewart in the process and sent the game to overtime.
Nasiya Smith hit a 3-pointer to start the overtime scoring and that really took the wind out of the atmosphere’s sails. A Lohan jumper and two foul shots from her put the Patriots up 52-46 as Davis fouled out for the Spartans who joined Stewart on the bench for the night.
Aubrey Glover then had a scary moment when she landed awkwardly and remained on the floor for a couple minutes, but she eventually came from the locker room walking what seemed to be normally, as that would be the last positive of the night for East.
The Pats celebrated at half court and punched their ticket to next week’s state tournament.
Dunford, in her final game, was named player of the game. She led East with 14 points. Stewart added 12 points.
Lohan led George Washington with 22 points. Fore added 13.
I would like to thank 95.3 WRLB’s Timmy Gwinn and Cam Huffman for providing stats all season.
The Spartans will return to the court in December 2022.
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