The Fairfield Lady Eagles are the top ranked team in Class 3A. They made that very noticeable with an easy time in the Fairfield Invitational Basketball Tournament with four wins and a first-place trophy.
Fairfield opened the tournament with a match in pool play against the Waxahachie Life Lady Mustangs. Senior Breyunna Dowell scored six points in the first quarter and four Lady Eagles either matched or outscored the Lady Mustangs in the 21-3 opening period. Emori Davis and Cooper Lawley came off the bench and hit three-pointers in the period and the Lady Eagles were cruising.
They would finish the half with a 44-6 lead and McKinna Brackens hit a three pointer in the second period, as did Jarahle Daniels. The game would finish with a 73-21 victory and Dowell had 22 points to lead the way. Daniels added ten and Shadasia Brackens tossed in 11.
The Fairfield Lady Eagles finished the first day in the pool round taking on the Robinson Rockettes. Brackens, Dowell and Shadasia Brackens hit from long distance in the opening moments and Davis and Daniels added three pointers and they were five different players in the period to hit from outside the three-point line and led 25-3 after one. Dowell hit from inside on three straight possessions and the stifling defense forced 13 first half turnovers from Robinson. The Rockettes could muster only eight shots from the field in the first half and trailed 41-6 at the half.
Shadasia Brackens scored five points in the first moments of the third period and sever reserves substituted in and out for the remainder of the game. They still outscored Robinson 20-4 in the second half to claim the 61-10 win and head into the second day of the tournament as the obvious favorites to win first place on Saturday.
The second day opponent was an old foe, one they will see in district play. The Teague Lady Lions were the next to contain the Fairfield Lady Eagles. Dowell and Davis hit three pointers in the first quarter and six different players totaled points for Fairfield and they led 22-8 after the first period and 44-11 at the half. Heggins and Pillette each hit two shots in the game and they would fall to the Lady Eagles 82-25 and that would send the Lady Eagles to the tournament final.
Fairfield would play the Mount Vernon Lady Tigers in the tournament final and they would be without the services of Shadasia Brackens for most of the day while she took a college preparatory exam. She returned to the floor with six minutes remaining in the game.
Addie Cox drew the start and contributed with a basket off a pass from McKinna Brackens, who had three assists in the first 12 minutes of play. Daniels hit a three point off the fast break and Dowell scored six in the opening quarter and Fairfield led 15-5 after the first quarter.
Fairfield got into a rhythm in the second period with Avery Thaler finishing an offensive set from a pass from Daniels. Jimilyah Nash hit a three pointer and Lawley and McKinna Brackens scoring and continuing smothering defense to lead 31-10 at the half. Shadasia Brackens returned to the court and was inserted into the game and she made a shot and was fouled late in the game. Fairfield concentrated on defense and did not take many shots in the second half and finished with a 47-20 win.
Fairfield did not allow more than ten points in any quarter through out the tournament. They look to return to a third consecutive state final appearance in March.
(Photos by Ashlyn Garcia)
