HS Boys Basketball: Dixon's jumper lifts Greenbrier East past Beckley
Dixon leads all scorers with 23 points including the game-winner
Wins for Greenbrier East boys basketball are rare inside the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.
The Spartans last left Beckley with a win back in 2022 on some late game heroics from Goose Gabbert.
Three years later, to the day, Greenbrier East once again pulled off the winning magic, this time from the hands of Nate Dixon.
Scoring his game-high, 23rd point with just under five seconds to play, the senior sharp-shooter gave the boys from Fairlea a dramatic, 58-56 win over the Flying Eagles.
Ironically, Gabbert scored 23 in the 2022 win as well.
Greenbrier East head coach Jared Patton discussed the game and Dixon's big shot.
Fighting foul trouble from their senior standout Brody Hamric in the first half, the Spartans were still in good shape, down only two points at the break.
The energy to open the third quarter, however, belonged to Beckley.
A Gage Burdette 3-pointer with just under five minutes to play in the stanza, gave the Flying Eagles their biggest lead of the game at 38-31.
Greenbrier East did not blink and fought back to within one-point in the quarter, before trailing 46-43 with eight minutes to play.
The lead remained with Beckley until the 3:20 mark when Brodrik Gunter drilled a 3-ball to tie the game at 50-50.
Gunter then dumped the ball inside on the ensuing possession to Braylen Godfrey for East's first lead of the second half.
Burdette answered with a long ball to put Beckley back on top, but it was the final lead of the game for the home team.
A well executed possession from the Spartans ended in a Dixon layup ahead of Beckley being whistled on a charge call on the other end.
The home team appeared to have a defensive stop on the following possession, but a crucial stick-back from Vernon Jones made it a three-point advantage for the Spartans.
Needing a big shot to hopefully send the game to overtime, senior Preston Clary answered the bell and drilled a 3-pointer with 21 seconds to play.
The hometown euphoria was short-lived, however, when Greenbrier East turned to the red-hot Dixon for the biggest shot of the night.
Dixon talked about the play that sent Greenbrier East home with the victory.
GE: 13 14 16 15 - 58
B: 10 18 18 10 - 56
GE: Brody Hamric 8, Darius Burns 6, Nate Dixon 23, Vernon Jones 3, Brodick Gunter 5, Braylen Godfrey 11, Eloi Castillo 2.
B: Lucas Raney 12, Preston Clary 11, A.J. Thomas 7, Gage Burdette 10, Kingston Clark 12, Ta'Ron Thomas 2, Jahden Robinson 2
