Lady Eagles are STATE CHAMPIONS!
The Fairfield Lady Eagles overcame a four-point deficit in the final :30 seconds to force overtime and pulled away to claim the 3A Division I State Title over top ranked Jim Ned 50-44 on Friday afternoon at the Alamodome in San Antonio, their third title in the past five years.
Blayke Brackens scored with 20 second left and a tight double team forced a Lady Indian turnover on a steal by Kaylee Williams with 13 seconds remaining. Following the timeout, Brackens took the final shot in regulation and nailed the eight-footer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Brackens scored the first points of the extra period and Williams added a second steal. Nash was fouled and hit one of two from the free throw line. Brackens added a pair at the free throw line and the Lady Eagle offense began to burn time and the Lady Indians began fouling.
Keke Alexander hit one of two and Williams did the same and the final push sealed the state championship 50-44.
“We were happy to be in San Antonio. With the new post season set up, it seemed harder to get there, so the tournament just had a different feel, but the atmosphere at our community provides for our players made us feel right at home,” said head coach Sally Whitaker in a post-game interview.
The Lady Eagles began the week at the Houston Delmar Athletic Complex to take on the Corpus Christi West Oso Lady Bears on Tuesday in the state semifinal. Nash and Williams started with three pointers and took a big first quarter lead. Williams finished with ten in the period and Fairfield had a 17-12 first period lead.
The Lady Eagles maintained the lead throughout the remainder of the first half with Alexander going high off glass for the score and Williams adding a three pointer to lead 29-22 at the break.
Fairfield would lose the lead briefly on a pair of three pointers from the baseline by Lady Bear teammates Isabella Brown and Jae’La Hicks. Milauni Williams scored and missed the foul shot, but the Lady Bears gained a 30-29 lead. Fairfield took off again on a 7-0 run to put the game to a lead they would hold for the remainder of the contest. Kole Brackens hit a short jumper from the free throw line and Blayke Brackens scored off of an inbound and Fairfield led 42-37 heading into the fourth.
Blayke Brackens hit a pair of jumpers to open final period and Jacelynn Schmidt scored for the final field goal of the evening for Fairfield. They made 11 of 12 free throws down the stretch to preserve the 61-56 win and advance to the state final.
The top ranked Jim Ned Lady Indians stood between the Fairfield Lady Eagles and the third state title in five trips. Nash and Schmidt hit free throws in the first two minutes of the contest and led until McCaylee Miller scored to cut into the early Fairfield lead. Emma Doran scored to put the Lady Indians in the lead for the remainder of the first period. Fairfield trailed 8-5 at the end of the first period.
Jessa Garcia and Riley Grohman teamed up for a small run for Jim Ned and they built a 14-9 lead and Soben London hit a pair of free throws to reach the largest lead of the game at 21-13. Williams scored to stop the scoring drought and trailed by six at the half.
Jaci Abram hit a shot in the paint off of an offensive rebound and Doran quickly answered to keep the lead at a half dozen. Brackens pulled up and hit a shot and Schmidt made one of two at the line to cut the lead to 23-20. The lead would move from five to three a couple of times in the period and then Doran score with less than two minutes remaining in the third to build the lead back up to seven at 31-24. Brackens scored off a turnover and Williams stole the ball out front and sprinted to lay it in at the buzzer to cut the lead to 31-29 at the end of the third.
“That layup was huge. I think it gave us confidence,” added Coach Whitaker.
Schmidt scored one of two from the line to tie the game at 31-31 at the beginning of the final period. Gracee Cooley hit a three pointer with six minutes left and the Lady Indian lead was 34-31. Schmidt scored in the paint, drew the foul and hit the foul shot to retie the score at 34-34.
Grohman took over the game and built the four-point lead in the final minute when Brackens made her move with the final four points of regulation to send the game to overtime and the eventual win.
“Our girls just battled in the fourth quarter, like we do, and once we forced overtime, we knew we had the momentum. The best thing we have learned over the years is that we can play, however we need to play to win. Our kids just want to win,” summed up Coach Whitaker.
Blayke Brackens scored 17 points and earned Most Valuable Player honors, evening the score with sister, McKinna Brackens. They have both earned that honor on the final day of the basketball season. Jacelynn Schmidt scored 12 points and eight of nine free throws and was named to the all-tournament team. Jaci Abram also added 12 and was named to the all-tournament team. Cooley and Grohman, along with Williams from West Oso, rounded out the tournament standouts.
The Fairfield Lady Eagles finish the season at 33-6 and the Class 3A Division state title, their third in five trips to the Alamodome. The final word for this fine season goes to Coach Sally Whitaker, who said it best, “This year’s team played the toughest schedule we have played, maybe ever, so for them to just keep being successful makes me proud.”
As the reporter for this season, I am honored and privileged to cover this team and this coaching staff. They make the words easy to write and we look forward to beginning a new year with the state champions.
