The Mexia Blackcats needed all 58 points from senior guard Kelan Collins to escape with a home court win on Friday night against the Fairfield Eagles.
The Fairfield Eagles trailed by as many as 22 in the first half and had a valiant comeback to send the game to overtime and did not take their first lead of the contest until the overtime period.
Kelan Collins was everywhere for the Blackcats. He led the fastbreak and finished the fast break in many possessions and 16 points in the opening period. Kohl Collins and Madden McElroy kept pace with a McElroy three pointer at the buzzer closing the gap to ten at the end of the first period.
Collins continued the torrid pace to finish the first half with 30 points. Ja’Kendrick Turner was not in the starting lineup but came in to spark the Eagle offense. Late in the second period, Collins left with a cramp and Turner went on a personal 5-0 run to cut the lead down to 40-24 at the half. Kohl Collins pulled down several offensive rebounds for Fairfield to allow them second chance scores near the half.
Turner continued to fan the flames of the Eagles with key scores and passes down in the post to Kohl Collins. They would work outside to Connor Colvert and McElroy and cut the lead to under ten in the early moments of the second half. Colvert made his second from behind the arch in the final moments of the period but Collins continued to pace the Blackcats and he had 36 at the end of three.
Fairfield cut into the lead with Turner and McElroy scoring for the Eagle offense. Kohl Collins had several key offensive rebounds and kicked the ball back out for short jumpers for the Eagles. Kelan Collins showed signs of fatigue but still scored and kept the Blackcat lead going at the free throw line. Rylon Greer missed a pair with less than ten seconds to go, and Fairfield trailed by two. Turner spotted up for an eight footer as the time expired and his shot was good and that would send the game to overtime tied at 66-66.
Collins regained his pacing and scored the first points of the extra frame. Kohl Collins grabbed a missed shot and scored, and the Eagles took their first lead of the game at 71-69. Kelan Collins hit four free throws down the stretch and McElroy matched that total with five points in overtime. The Eagle offense could not convert a shot in the final seconds and had to foul with the Blackcats holding a four-point lead. Colvert hit a shot in the final ten second to close the lead to three and Mexia received a technical foul that trimmed the lead to 81-79 with just under two seconds remaining. The Eagles had the ball knocked away as the time ended and Mexia won the thriller 81-79 in overtime.
Kelan Collins led all scorers with 58 and Turner came off the bench to lead the Eagles with 24 points. McElroy added 20 and Kohl Collins tossed in 14. Connor Colvert also finished with double digits with 12.
The Fairfield Eagles will return home to the Johnson Activity Center when the take on the Elkhart Elks and then travel to Palestine on Friday to take on the top five ranked Westwood Panthers.
