Top-notch shooting helps Greenbrier top rival Evans

Strange circumstances enveloped the latest Evans-Greenbrier hoops rivalry.

//

The game was moved to Thursday, so to not interfere with winter break. There was no preceding junior varsity or varsity girls game.

And coaches spent the day plotting future moves as the threat of snow caused a schedule scramble.

Strip all that away, though, and the importance of the game was still there.

Greenbrier players were mobbed by students on their home floor following their 67-60 victory.

The Wolfpack had dropped the past four meetings in the rivalry, dating to 2008.

"We just wanted to win," said Greenbrier forward Dejon Britton.

The shots fell for the Wolfpack from long range.

Greenbrier coach Casey Heckathorn and some of his players said the good shooting night was overdue, that the only 3-pointers of late had come from the Wolfpack trying to fight from behind.

"That's the first time we've been hot in a long time," said guard Justin Cofer, who made four of Greenbrier's seven 3-pointers.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Chad Waddell and Cofer to start the second half pushed the Greenbrier lead to 15, the largest margin of the game. Evans battled back to within four during the fourth quarter, but the game didn't include the drama of past contests.

"A seven-point win is a blowout in this series," said Greenbrier athletic director Garrett Black, as he nodded to the scoreboard after the game.

The Wolfpack finished their region regular season Monday with a 66-47 loss at home against Redan, a game that had been scheduled for Friday but was postponed because of the snow.

Greenbrier will be the No. 7 seed in the Region 2-AAAAA tournament that begins today at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain.

Britton said the Wolfpack's difficult schedule prepared them for one of the area's better teams.

"We've played a lot of tough teams lately, kind of building up for this," he said. "I think we're playing great basketball right now."

Heckathorn said he was scrambling to adjust the schedule before Thursday's game, and that the Wolfpack's routine was changed in that the boys game was the only one played Thursday.

The hectic day didn't remove Greenbrier's focus from its rivals, Heckathorn said.

"It's the game of the year every year in the county," he said. "I don't know how you'd look it over."

The Knights were trying for another sweep of their rivals after a one-point victory back in December.

An 8-0 run early in the second half brought the Knights within seven.

Knights forward Troy Griffith's 3-point play with 1:33 left brought Evans within four points.

"As poorly as we played, we still had a chance," said Evans coach Kevin Kenny.

But Greenbrier made nine of its final 12 free throws.