The Fairfield Eagles swept the week in District 20-3A basketball and remained in the hunt for a playoff spot as the first round of games near its end.
On Tuesday, the Eagles travelled to Elkhart to take on the winless Elks. Fairfield started quickly with a score off of an offensive rebound by Camren Daniels and a three pointer by Jy’ren Canady to open a 5-1 lead. The lead stretched to 17-2 on a Daniels dunk and a Rex Bean steal and layup. George Zimmerman was fouled on a three-point shot and he stepped up and nailed all three from the charity stripe. The Eagles would end the period with a 21-5 lead.
Bean took away the ball and scored a fast break bucket and Cal Wilson hit a three pointer in the second period. Bean and Zimmerman scored easily on baskets set up by the tenacious Eagle defense and held a 38-20 lead at the half.
Elkhart would close the gap a bit in the opening moments of the second half, but they would no closer than 11 in the game and Eagles pulled away to a 73-49 win. Daniels led the way with 13 points along with Bean and his 13 points. Pierre Allgood was just off the lead with 12 points in the district win.
The Eagles returned to the Johnson Activity Center to take on the Westwood Panthers. Fairfield needed this win to separate the bottom of the district from those in a log jam behind the leaders. After a Panther score on the tip, Canady stopped and hit a ten-foot jump shot to promptly tie the score. Daniels scored off of a pass on a throw in and Wilson scored to put the Eagles ahead to stay. Daniels had a steal and dunk, and the Eagles weathered a 4-0 run by Westwood to end the period and Fairfield led 13-11.
Zimmerman, Canady, Daniels, and Bean put the defensive clamps on the Panther offense and scored one easy basket after another. The Eagles ripped off 19 straight points in the first four minutes of the second period and put the lead at 32-11. The lead would swell to 39-16 on free throws by Wilson. Westwood pushed to score in the final minute to close the gap to 39-20 at the half.
The Panthers did close the gap to ten with five minutes remaining in the third period but a technical foul on the Westwood bench and possession extended the lead back out to 49-32. Fairfield would hold the lead and add to it and the Eagles won the game 72-49.
Canady scored 22 points to lead all scorers and Daniels added 17 in the win. Allgood scored 11 and Bean scored 12 to close out the double-digit scoring.
Franklin and Mexia remain unbeaten in district play and Fairfield is two games back at 4-2. Buffalo and Groesbeck are three games back at 3-3 after each team split the two games played.
Fairfield will travel to Teague on Tuesday and then they will host the Buffalo Bison to conclude the first set round of game and reach the halfway mark.
(Photos by Payton Botelho)
