FIRST TAKE: Van Buren tops Greenbrier to snap two-game skid

VAN BUREN -- Entering Friday's game on a two-game losing streak, Van Buren snapped it in a big way at Clair Bates Arena.

Van Buren playing its first game in a week let out some frustration with a 46-37 victory against the co-conference leaders Greenbrier in a 5A-West matchup.

The Pointers were guided by Glavine McDonald (13 points) and Trenton Cooley (12 points all off the bench). The Panthers were led by a game-high 15 points from Jace Dunlap.

Van Buren (13-10, 4-3) held just a 13-12 edge after the first quarter before taking a 29-24 lead into the break. Bench scoring was a big part of the early success with nine combined points coming from Cooley and Bryce Perkins.

Greenbrier (11-10, 5-2) was then limited to just 1 of 12 shots from the field in the third quarter, which allowed Van Buren to take a 36-26 advantage into the final quarter.

That's when Cooley took his game to another level, finishing with a team-high six fourth-quarter points. He had two 3-point plays to give Van Buren a 41-30 lead and a 44-32 lead.

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