Injuries are an unfortunate part of high school sports.
When teammates go down, somebody must step in to fill those shoes.
With starters Kellen Heffernan and Averyk Woodson sidelined Friday night, Greater Beckley sharpshooter Eli Gunter seized the moment.
Drilling six long balls on the night and scoring a game-high 24 points, Gunter led the No. 3 ranked Crusaders past No. 4 St. Joseph Central, 75-57 in a battle of Class A titans.
“Eli was taking great shots today and played hard. He got his opportunity and he took advantage of it,” Greater Beckley head coach Justin Arvon said. “We have to have guys step up and Eli knows that. He is one of those guys that is here at 6:30 (a.m.) and his work ethic was on the floor today. He is a good player and has started the last two games. He deserves to be on the floor. That was not a surprise today.”
Gunter’s effort was nearly half of the Greater Beckley output Friday night which totaled 13 strikes from behind the arc.
“I am not sure we took a bad one tonight. There is a difference. We ended the last game we played very poorly and was taking some bad shots, not in rhythm,” Arvon said. “This time our guards were getting downhill, drawing defenders for kick out 3’s from the paint in rhythm. Jump shooters tend to make more of those in rhythm than out of rhythm.”
The Irish started quick and took a 10-5 lead less than three minutes into the contest before a 13-0 run by the Crusaders gave them the lead for good.
“They have some really good players and they try to get downhill on you. The start of the game, they were getting downhill on us and they were hitting shots too,” Arvon said. “As the game progressed, our guards adjusted and kept the ball in front of them. We wanted to create turnovers to get in transition and we did.”
Leading by six points after one quarter, Greater Beckley weathered some foul issues in the second quarter to take a 35-27 lead into halftime.
“They were collapsing on Drew (Fitzwater) in the paint and that started us off getting guys open and they were hitting,” Arvon said. “That is the way you want to start a game. We were trying to play inside out and they were trying to take it away from us. We had some foul trouble, but we were able to rotate some guys in and out.”
A 3-pointer from all-state guard Keegan Davidson answered a St. Joe bucket to open the second half, sending the Crusaders on a 12-0 run for a 47-27 lead midway through the quarter.
“Keegan had an outstanding effort on both ends today. He played with foul trouble and controlled the game,” Arvon said. “They really were getting into him there in the second half. He did a great job maintaining his composure, getting past defenders and making plays today. He is one of the better players in West Virginia and he put it on display today leading our team.”
Coming off of a stellar freshman campaign, Davidson is now more comfortable in a leadership role for Greater Beckley.
“This year I have taken a bigger role,” Davidson said. “Kellen and Averyk are out and they are big time leaders. I had to do what we had to do to win. I think everybody trusted each other. Eli here is hitting six 3’s and he had a great game. It started on the defensive end though, I think. We got effort and energy from the bench and we just ran with it.”
The visitors did throw a scare into the home crowd when a quick 7-0 run trimmed the deficit to 59-46 with over five minutes to play.
After a poor effort down the stretch in the loss to Summit Christian, the Crusaders did not want to see another win slip away.
“They are a really good team and they never quit,” Davidson said. “They are coached well. We had a timeout and coach got us right. I tried to take more of a leadership role right there and that is how we did it.”
With the Irish riding the momentum, Gunter seized the moment with a steal and a pull-up 3-ball to ignite an 11-0 run to close the book on a crucial win.
“I have been working in the offseason and I finally got my opportunity. I am glad (the hard work) paid off. My teammates set me up, we played as a team and it worked out tonight,” Gunter said. “I knew this game was going to be a tough game, but I have been shooting my whole life. I am on the shooting machine almost every day putting the work in.”
Davidson finished the night with 18 points, while Kash Hendrix scored 12 and Fitzwater scored 10.
SJC: 14 13 9 21 – 57
GBC: 20 15 21 19 – 75
St. Joe
Miciah Ehirm 14, Noah Keaton 11, Cylis Allen 16, Mymir Bryant 4, Brody Runyon 3, Brayden McDowell 3, Trey Bryant 3, Gabriel Watts 3. Totals: 22 5-18 57.
Greater Beckley
Keegan Davidson 18, Javonte Spencer 5, Drew Fitzwater 10, Kash Hendrix 12, Eli Gunter 24, Isaiah Kincaid 4, Tayshawn Crowder 2. Totals: 30 2-5 75.
