By GARY DOVE
for the Daily Telegraph
BRUSHFORK — In a game of momentum swings, Bluefield came up one surge and six points short Monday evening, losing a 72-66 decision to the Wyoming East Warriors.
The visitors took an early 9-4 lead at the 3:14 mark of the inaugural quarter on a three point goal from the front by senior Logan Blankenship.
Beaver embarked on the first swing, canning 11 unanswered points, including the final six on offensive stick-backs, to go on top 15-11.
Sophomore Mookie Collier had two of those put-backs, as well as canning a pair of free throws with 27 seconds showing to help what would become a 22-7 Bluefield run that lasted 1:46 into the second frame.
Beaver junior Devin Goins departed early in the second with his third personal foul, and East switched from its normal man-to-man to a 1-3-1 zone that completely disrupted the host’s offense.
Warrior 6-6 senior David Carte scored on a drive and followed moments later with a pair of foul shots to start a 9-0 swing that expanded to 24-5 over the final 6:14 of the second to help his club take a 40-31 advantage at the break.
That run continued, as the now 5-2 Warriors scored 10 of the initial 17 points of the third to extend their lead to 50-38.
Bluefield took its turn, reeling off nine consecutive points, including five by sophomore Donta Hopkins, to pull to within two before a Goins’ deuce with 1:08 showing in the third produced the fifth and final tie of the contest, at 52.
Carte, who took game scoring honors with 24 points, answered for two to help East hold a 56-53 lead going into the final eight minutes.
After briefly going back to the man defense, the Warriors returned to that 1-3-1 zone to close out the victory.
Another streak, an 11-3 Wyoming East run to open the fourth, helped build a cushion that held, despite Bluefield closing to 69-64 with 1:14 remaining and the final 72-66 count.
Bluefield head coach Buster Large said about East, “They (Warriors) played solid basketball for four quarters. I’m very proud of our kids. We had a chance to cut it to two with just a few minutes to go.”
Related East head coach Rory Chapman, “I thought we settled down and took care of the basketball after the first quarter. … We were able to break the pressure and get the ball down inside for easy buckets.”
Of the 1-3-1 zone, Chapman said, “We don’t play it a lot. We’re strictly a man-to-man, but we’ve got that in our back pockets.”
Senior Jeremy Thompson paced a quartet of Beaver twin digit scorers with 16, followed by Collier’s 14, 13 by Goins and 10 from Hopkins.
Bluefield, now 4-3, will visit Mount View this evening at the Castle.
Senior Cody Lester and Blankenship followed Carte’s 24 points with 18 and 16 respectively.
The Warriors will host Westside Friday evening.

At Brushfork Armory
WYOMING EAST (5-2)
Johnathan Sims 3 0-0 9, R. J. Folden 0 2-2 2, Alec Lusk 1 0-0 3, Logan Blankenship 6 3-5 16, Cody Lester 7 4-5 18, David Carte 10 4-5 24. Totals 27 13-17 72.
BLUEFIELD (4-3)
Donta Hopkins 4 1-1 10, Jeremy Thompson 6 2-2 16, Mookie Collier 5 3-4 14, Devin Goins 6 0-0 13, Elijah Greene 1 0-0 2, Ryan Davis 1 1-2 3, Dyon Wright 4 0-0 8. Totals 27 7-9 66.
Wyoming East...........13 27 16 16 — 72
Bluefield....................19 12 22 13 — 66
3-point goals — WE 5 (Sims 3, Lusk 1, Blankenship 1). B 5 (Thompson 2, Hopkins 1, Collier 1, Goins 1). Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.