Boys Basketball
Fairfield and Mexia are always a rival, always a good game, always high intensity…. enough said.
The Fairfield Eagles hit five out of six free throws to close out the game and take a 61-59 win in the opening game of District 18-4A in the Johnson Activity Center Friday night.
The game saw five technical fouls, an ejection, and 47 free throws and the Eagles needed every one on their side to claim the victory.
Fairfield began the game on a 5-0 run with free throws from Kolby Adams and a score by Kadarius Walker. Davion Carter scored three times and J.B. Busby saw early action when Travion Carter committed his second foul in the opening minute.
Late in the period, Walker stepped up to the line and hit two free throws from the first technical foul called on the Blackcats. Carter’s six points in the period kept the game close and the teams were tied at 12-12 at the end of one.
The teams exchanged baskets in the first minute of the second period. Trey McWilliams scored on a good pass from Walker and Jaise Oliver scored on a reverse lay up and the lead traded hands a couple times.
Carter and Chris Matthews scored, and the game was see-sawed about until Kolbe Branch scored a fast break goal and Walker hit a three pointer. That 5-0 run at the end of the half gave the Eagles a 29-25 heading into the locker room.
The lead grew to 35-28 on a pair of three pointers by Adams and Walker. Jaden Proctor matched them with a couple of his own along with finishes on fast break opportunities by Matthews and Carter.
A double technical was called that resulted in a disqualification of Proctor, since he had received his second technical of the game. Jordan Gibson drove in and scored and was fouled and hit the free throw.
Matthews scored six points down the final minutes of the third period and Blackcats had a slight advantage. Mexia led 46-41 heading into the fourth.
Busby hit a pair of free throws and Carter scored on a steal and layup and the lead grew to 51-41 in the first two minutes of the final period, their largest of the game. Fairfield went on a tear and scored six points in 27 seconds with steals and layups by Oliver and Walker.
The lead remained slim with scores from Adams and Walker and the Blackcats were called for two more technical fouls in the last four minutes, however, the Eagles only converted two of the four free throws. Oliver hit a shot and was fouled, and the last two minutes were a free throw shooting contest.
Walker converted four of four in the last minute. Davion Carter hit a three to close the gap to one, but the final shot clanged off the back of the rim and the Eagles won 61-59.
Kadarius Walker led all scorers with 20 points and dished off eight assists and three other teammates scored in double figures. Oliver had 12, and Adams and Branch had 11 each. Chris Matthews led Mexia with 17 points and Davion Carter added 13.
Fairfield has a non-district game to begin next week and then they travel to Palestine to resume district play in Palestine to take on the Wildcats.
-Photos –
SLIDING ACROSS THE COURT TO GAIN CONTROL of the loose ball and keep it from going out of bounds is Jordan Gibson. (Pictured at top – Photos by Melissa Lee)
IT’S UP AND OVER MEXIA for two by Kolby Adams, who later shot two from the fouls that occurred. (Pictured above)
Girls Basketball
The Fairfield Lady Eagles swept the week and have a 3-0 mark in the district standings with wins over ranked teams Athens and Mexia.
On Tuesday night, the Lady Eagles took to the road and visited the Athens Lady Hornets. The teams were tied at the end of regulation 50-50. Fairfield dominated the overtime and pulled away for the district win. Josey Richardson (Pictured at left) led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 17 points and Braden Bossier added 13 in the win.
Friday was a return to the Johnson Activity Center and a date with the rival Ladycats of Mexia. Both teams had not lost a game in district play. The end of the first part of the round robin is in sight and a win by either team could have been huge in the standings.
Bossier had a drop-in lay up to begin the game and Mexia stayed close with a short jumper by Yazmine Green. JoAnne Zamora hit a basket and Richardson added a three pointer and when Tanna Lide fought for an offensive rebound and shot, the Lady Eagle grew to 12-8 near the end of the first period.
Bossier began the second period with a couple of scores and neared a double double in the first half with seven points and 11 rebounds. Zamora stopped three possessions by Mexia in the second with three steals and the Lady Eagle defense forced Mexia to make only one of 11 attempts in the period and four of 27 in the first half. Fairfield extended its lead by two points and led 19-12 at the break.
Keanna Keith and Treece Daily took control in the third period and began to try and draw closer and close the gap. Keith had a couple of fast break jumpers and Daily added a baseline jumper and a three pointer.
Fairfield did not get many shots in the period, but the ones they did get, the capitalized on with five of seven shooting in the third. Bossier hit three of four and Carrington Roberts had a big baseline shot at the end of the period. Mexia cut the gap by two points and trailed 31-26 heading into the final eight minutes.
Jada Clark scored in the first seconds of the fourth. Zamora picked up a ball rolling to her and laid it in and Kamri Griffin finished off a great pass from Richardson to build a double-digit lead.
The Lady Eagles went cold for a spell in the period with seven straight misses, but the defensive pressure was more than the Ladycats could stand.
Mexia missed their last 13 shots from the field and could not commit enough fouls to send the Lady Eagles to the free throw line. Fairfield topped the Ladycats and moved to 3-0 on the district season.
Bossier scored 15 points and pulled down 18 rebounds.
Fairfield is idle Tuesday and will finish the first half of district play in Palestine. They will face Destiny Matthews, who poured in 51 points in a district game with Madisonville on Friday.
