The Fairfield Eagles worked to protect home court but the Franklin Lions escaped with a win and the Eagles were dominated in a district game on the road to end the week with a pair of losses in District 20-3A play.
Fairfield hosted the Franklin Lions in a key district game. Franklin has not played many games since coming off of their state title in Division one football and many familiar names came into Fairfield for this game.
The lead changed hands a few times in the early moments of the game. Devyn Hidrogo hit a shot and Marcus Wade hit a three from the corner for the early lead for Franklin. Rex Bean had a score and four free throws, two of them on a Lion technical foul, and Caleb George scored from inside for a 9-7 lead. Hayden Helton hit a three and Kamren Griffin matched it with a three pointer to end the period. Fairfield led 17-14 at the end of the period.
Helton hit a couple of shots to end the fast break and Malcolm Murphy scored, muscling his way in the middle. Wade hit a pair of three pointers and Franklin would take a slight lead. Pierre Allgood connected on a pair of short jumpers and Jacorey Daniels and Dakerione Cunningham scored late to put the Eagles up 37-33 halftime lead.
Murphy scored three times in the third and the game flowed back and forth. Cunningham and George kept pace in the latter moments of the period and Jy’Ren Canady scored in the final seconds of the third and the Eagles held a slim lead.
Franklin took over in the final period and pulled away for the victory. Murphy scored twice and Helton hit a three pointer. Wade added a second three pointer and the Lions led 55-49. The Eagles could not hold the deficit and Franklin closed the game with a 64-54 win.
The Eagles traveled to Crockett to take on the Bulldogs and Crockett sent the pace from the opening tip. Keshaun Easterling scored on three straight possessions and Delvin Walker hit a three for the early lead. George and Allgood added scores to cut the lead to 13-4. Walker and Easterling scored to end the period and Crockett led 28-11.
Cunningham scored and then hit a three pointer on two straight possessions and the Eagles tried cutting into the lead. Walker added seven points in the period and Bre’Dron Tucker added a shot late and added to the lead 46-27.
Fairfield played even in the second half and could not get to within 13 points the remainder of the night. Griffin hit a three and scored seven in the third and 14 for the game before fouling out in the final minutes. The Bulldogs took over in the paint and pushed their way to a 77-62 victory.
This is the third consecutive district loss for the Eagles, which makes a trip to Groesbeck on Tuesday a very important game for the Eagles to stay in the district playoff race.
