Gallery by Heather Belcher
Beckley girls head basketball coach Brian Nabors believes in defense.
Friday night the Flying Eagles were a solid reflection of their coach’s philosophy.
Battling sectional rival Greenbrier East in the only regular season meeting this year, Beckley frustrated the Spartans all night to secure a 56-42 win.
“It was a quality win and a great team effort. I am glad we came out tonight and took care of business,” Nabors said. “We are not a one (player) show. Along with Abby Dillon we also players like Josie Cross, Lataja Creasey and Madison Belcher who did a good job opening the game up for us. We are glad to have her back. Mya Wooton plays so hard. It was a total team effort tonight.”
After Beckley took a 1-0 lead, senior sharpshooter Cadence Stewart drilled a 3-ball which was quickly answered by Belcher’s corner triple.
Dillon followed with her first 3-pointer of the game and Cross drove hard from the elbow for another score.
The visitors never led again.
“(Beckley) played with a lot of emotion and we never could get (on track)” Greenbrier East head coach and current W.Va. Governor Jim Justice said. “We began shooting the ball from the 3-point line and before you knew it we were shooting it at half-court. You give them all the credit. Our kids battled, but it was just a tough night. (Beckley) played well on us.”
The Flying Eagles led 18-10 after one quarter and started the second period with guns blazing.
Wooton rifled a pass from the top of the key down to Donya Burton for a bucket which preceded two-point buckets from Dillon and Cross.
Two free throws from Cross, who scored 11 points in the opening half, gave Beckley a 26-11 lead with 4:52 to play in the half.
Cross ended the night with 16 points and was a force all night in the paint with rebounds and blocks as well.
“It is no surprise. We put her in a roll where she has to be a focal point. A lot of teams key on Abby Dillon and we want other players to step up when that happens,” Nabors said. “We are a team and we have so much confidence in Josie Cross. She is very versatile player and I thought she set the tone just being very tough on the defensive boards.”
Cross admitted, she loves life down in the paint.
“One of my favorite parts about basketball is rebounds, blocks and stuff like that. I always try to go in tough and play hard,” Cross said. “If Abby and the others are not getting the shots they need to get, it’s my time to step up, so they can get there shots.”
With Burton and Wooton sitting the remainder of the half, each with two fouls, Beckley’s rhythm took a hit.
After a scoreless four-minute stretch, East finally found some success to trim the deficit back to 10 points on a 3-pointer from Kennedy Stewart with 37 seconds to play in the half.
Creasey electrified the home crowd with a 3-ball to beat the buzzer, but East was not ready to fold the tent.
Back-to-back deep strikes from Dotson and Kennedy Stewart to open the third quarter cut the lead back to seven points and Beckley wanted a timeout.
“We knew they would come back at us and take another swing at us. We told them that we had to be able to take the punch,” Nabors said. “We told them that whenever it happened that we had to stay focused and locked in. I think right there I saw growth in our team.”
A jumper from Cross stemmed the tide, but was quickly answered by Dotson on the other end.
The hopes for an East comeback were dashed when Dillon heated up nailing two 3-pointers and a pull-up jumper that helped Beckley build a 16 point advantage that was 15 when the third quarter horn sounded.
Dillon scored 18 points on the night to lead all scorers.
“Abby had to play well tonight for us to be successful,” Nabors said. “She has put in the work to perform like she does at the sophomore level. The best is yet to come for that young lady.”
The biggest lead of the night for the Flying Eagles was 20 points with just under five minutes to play.
“I just knew we all had to play hard and play as a team tonight,” Cross said. “Everyone had to do their part for us to win that game.”
Dotson and Cadence Stewart finished the night with 13 points apiece, while freshman Kennedy Stewart added 10.
“Those Stewart sisters shoot the ball so well. We can’t afford to give up shots (to them),” Nabors said. “They made a few, but for the most part I thought we stuck to the game plan and made it difficult for them to do what they do.”
Both teams have key sectional battles up next. Beckley travels to Princeton Tuesday, while East hosts Oak Hill Wednesday.
GE: 10 8 13 11 – 42
B: 18 13 15 10 – 56
Greenbrier East
Kennedy Stewart 10, Cadence Stewart 13, Caroline Dotson 13, Alizabeth Wooding 4, Hannah Fuller 2. Totals: 14 7-16 42.
Beckley
Abby Dillon 18, Josie Cross 16, Lataja Creasey 3, Leiloni Manns 4, Maddy Belcher 3, Taylor Gunter 1, Donya Burton 5, Mya Wooton 6. Totals 18 14-28 56.
3-pointers – GE: 7 (K. Stewart 3, C. Stewart 3, Dotson); B: 6 (Dillon 4, Creasey, Belcher)
