The Fairfield Eagles season came to an end in the second round of the playoffs against the Conally Cadets. The Eagles finish at 19-12 and earned a playoff victory under first year head coach Cannon Earp.
On Monday night, the Eagles faced the Jasper Bulldogs at Huntsville High School in the bi-district round. The game began as a runaway but the Eagles were able to hang onto a 54-49 win.
Jasper began the game with a field goal from Terrien Collins and a foul shot gave them the early 3-0 lead. Fairfield would score the next 18 points with a field goal from Kobe Freeman on a pass DeQuann McWilliams. The Eagles scored on seven of the next eight shots, including seven points from Carl Daniels on a three-pointer and a couple of shots. Freeman made a shot and Justin Abram added one field goal. The Eagles ended the period leading 18-6.
Fairfield continued to add to the lead with a personal 5-0 run by Freeman. Aiden Brackens scored on another assist pass from McWilliams and the lead stood at 25-6. Collins hit a pair of three-pointers in the second period and the lead began to shrink. Jacquise Bell scored on a follow shot and the Bulldogs had closed the lead to 29-22 at the half.
Daniels hit a three pointer to begin the second half and Collins scored seven in the opening minutes to close the gap to 32-30. Freeman scored off of an offensive rebound to extend the lead back to four. Collins and Kameron Ferrell scored to tie the game at 34-34. The teams traded points and the game remained tied at 38-38 heading into the final period.
Ferrell scored to give the Bulldogs the lead and was quickly answered by Freeman and McWilliams gave them a lead on a drive to the basket. Freeman extended the lead to four with a score. Collins kept the game close with a drive and Ferrell made a free throw. Tyler Smith put the Eagles back in front with a steal and score. Freeman scored with an offensive rebound off of a missed free throw and then was fouled on an assist pass from Abram and had a four-point lead with a minute left. Jasper could get no closer and the Eagles won the bi-district round 54-49.
Freeman scored 21 points and pull down 14 rebounds and Daniels added 12 in the win.
The area round game was played Thursday night at Corsicana High School and the opponent was the Waco Conally Cadets. Conally opened up a big first period lead with a 10-2 run led by Korie Black. Kamren Griffin ended the run with a score and Freeman added a pair to cut the lead to 14-8 after one.
The Eagles continued to erase the Conally lead beginning the second period. Abram scored to cut the lead to 16-10 and Freeman scored with 4:35 remaining to slice the lead to 16-14. John Barron had a baseline score and Zailin Cleveland had a steal and score to put the lead to 20-14. Abram hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 20-14 and Griffin scored the final basket of the half for Fairfield keeping the game a four-point difference. Cleveland fired the last shot of the half and it found the bottom of the net for three and the Cadets led 27-20 at the half.
Conally took control the game in the third quarter and would hold it to the end. Jordan Nichols and Black had early scores and Cleveland and Jelani McDonald scored late in the period. Freeman and Daniels had baskets in the period and that is all the Eagles could score in the third. Conally outscored the Eagles 14-4 in the period and took a 41-24 lead into the fourth. Black hit a three pointer and finished with a slam dunk in the final period. Daniels scored seven in the period and Freeman added five but it would not be enough to cut into the Cadet lead and Conally would advance with a 58-38 win.
(Photos by Melissa Lee)
