The Fairfield Lady Eagles finished the weekend with a heartbreaking loss to the Huntington Devilettes in the Regional Final 42-41. The loss ends a four-year consecutive run the states final four at the Class 3A State Basketball tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
On Tuesday, Fairfield would have the play-in game for the regional tournament. The Regional quarterfinal would have the Lady Eagles facing the leading scorer in the United States, Rice guard Saniya Burks. The game was played at the K. and Ida Wolens Special Events Center on the campus of Navarro College and the winner would head to the Region III tournament at Hewitt Midway.
Burks averaged over 40 points a game this season, but it was Aaliyah Nezar that looked the scorer. She hit four three pointers in the first period, one of them putting the Lady Bulldogs ahead 11-3 and forcing a Fairfield timeout. Avery Thaler and Blayke Brackens teamed up for eight points in the first half of the period and Jimilyah Nash accounted for the final six Lady Eagle points and Rice held the 18-16 advantage after one.
Kaylee Williams had two quick scores to put the Lady Eagles ahead 20-18 in the first minute of the second period and Burks began to find her range and hit a three pointer and a runner to regain the lead. Thaler had a score inside that proved to be the only score for a while as Fairfield went on a 1-15 span, including 11 consecutive missed shots. The Lady Eagles made up some ground at the free throw line with six made free throws in a row and would cut the lead down, but Rice still had a 34-29 halftime lead.
The Eagle calmness on the bench kept the game plan intact and Brackens and Williams hit three of the first four in the second half. In that same time frame, Rice made only one of their first ten, Nezar hit her fifth three pointer and the game was tied at 40-40 on a Burks circus turnaround. Thaler and freshman Jacelynn Schmidt took over the middle and the Lady Eagles took the lead and led 52-50 heading into the fourth period.
Burks scored to tie the game and Nash connected from long distance on a pass from Brackens. Thaler put the Lady Eagles ahead to stay with a shot off glass and Rice began to foul to send Fairfield to the free throw line. Nash hit one of two with under five seconds remaining to take their largest lead of the game 62-57. Burks let one fly at the buzzer, and it counted but it only cut the lead to 62-60, advancing the Lady Eagles to the Regional Tournament.
Burks scored 34 points in the game to lead all scorers. Thaler led three double digit scorers with 18 points, Nash tallied 16, and Brackens added 14.
The Fairfield Lady Eagles advanced to the Region III Tournament at Midway High School in Waco and were joined by Hitchcock, Little River-Academy and Huntington.
Fairfield played in the opening game of the tournament and the regional semifinal was a rematch of the previous year when the Lady Eagles would take on the Hitchcock Lady Bulldogs. Fairfield started with a quick 6-0 lead with Thaler scoring inside and Brackens nailing a short jumper. Kimora Carroll answered for the Lady Bulldogs with a three pointer and a score inside and a foul to tie the score. The teams remained close in the first period and neither opened more than a three-point lead and the teams were tied after the first period at 18-18.
The score was close throughout the first six minutes of the second period as one team scored and the other answered. Thaler became the hot hand, scoring 16 in the period, with counter scores from Na’Shya Maxwell and Paris Whitfield. Nash hit a three, Brackens had a steal and passed to Jaci Abram for the score and Lillian McBean had a steal and score at the end of the period. The first half was tied nine times and the lead changed seven times and Fairfield held a 42-35 lead.
Hitchcock immediately cut the lead to two when Kyleigh McDaniel hit a three pointer and Nikyah Bourgeois hit a short jumper to set the score at 42-40. Thaler made two free throws and Brackens scored on two shots. Williams hit a three pointer to open the score back to seven. Fairfield hit four of their last six shots with the final one on a Williams steal and score at the buzzer. The Lady Eagles held a 62-51 lead heading into the final period.
The Fairfield Lady Eagles expanded the lead early in the fourth period. Jacelynn Schmidt returned an offensive rebound for a score. Hitchcock went into desperation mode with a flurry of shots and missed ten straight in the period. Thaler put a shot back up for a score and had another to pair with a foul shot. Fairfield hit six of seven free throws down the stretch to take a 76-59 win and would advance to their sixth consecutive regional final.
Avery Thaler led all scorers with a monster game. She scored 32 points, pulled down 22 rebounds and had five blocked shots. Nash added 16 points in the win.
The Regional Final opponent would be the Huntington Devilettes, who defeated Little River-Academy Lady Bees 51-40.
The Devilettes had won four games with scores that never left the thirties, and their game plan was to keep the pace slow, and they accomplished their game plan the entire game.
Abram passed to Thaler for the first score of the game and Cailtyn Stanley answered. Thaler passed to Nash cutting to the basket for the score and Kyra Anderson matched the score and the game was tied 4-4. The largest lead of the period was a three-pointer scored by Brackens, who hit two in the period. Claire Harris scored on the final possession of the period and the Lady Eagles had the edge 14-13.
Fairfield opened the lead to four on a Williams three pointer and maintained the four-point lead when Nash found Brackens open for a score. Lexi Litton had a pair of scores to cut the lead to 22-20, but Huntington would miss the final five shots of the period. That opened the door for the Lady Eagles. Thaler left the game with foul trouble and Schmidt scoring on three possessions to finish on a 7-0 run and held a 29-20 halftime lead.
Anderson and Thaler traded scores to begin the second half. The shot by Thaler was one of only two made in the period (2-10). Jesie Rogers hit a three pointer, Stanley a short jumper and Anderson two from inside and quickly erased the lead and tied the score at 31-31. Williams scored a three pointer with 22 seconds remaining and hit two free throws to close a slim lead by Huntington with Rogers and Anderson had scored. Fairfield held a lead, but only a slim lead 36-35 heading into the final period.
Anderson gave the Devilettes the lead 37-36 and Litton hit a three to build a 40-36 lead. McBean had a steal and score for the only score from the field in the period. Anderson scored to build a 42-38 lead with less than a minute remaining. Schmidt hit one of two free throws and Williams added a pair to cut the lead to 42-41. Huntington was running the time down and committed a turnover with six seconds remaining. Fairfield worked the ball down court, but the Devilettes had two fouls to give, and they used both of them and the clock wound down to three seconds. A half court three-point attempt by Nash fell short and the Huntington Devilettes earned the trip to the state tournament with the 42-41 win.
Anderson led all scorers with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Williams scored 13 to pace the Lady Eagles, who ended their season at 35-3 and were the top ranked team all season.
Fairfield High School will say goodbye to seniors Kristavia Nelms, Lillian McBean, and Charlee Brackens. Avery Thaler leaves the Lady Eagle sidelines to play college volleyball and she has a bright athletic future.
As for me, it is and always has been an honor to cover this team and the coaching duo of Sally Whitaker and Randy Barger are a pleasure to work with and the Lady Eagle program are in capable hands for many years to come and Fairfield should be a contender for that entire run.
