The Fairfield Lady Eagles hosted the Rusk Lady Eagles and were upset in a home district game 45-42 but took to the road and regained the two game district lead with a win over the Palestine Ladycats.
On Tuesday, Fairfield hosted Rusk having completed an unbeaten first half of district play and won by an average of 38 points per contest. The closest game was in Rusk in the district opener and the East Texas Lady Eagles came in to play a top ten team all the way to the end.
Raven Bennett came in for Jamyah Anderson, who picked up two quick fouls and she quickly scored four points and along with a short jumper from Anayzia Jefferson, Rusk took an early 6-0 lead. McKinna Brackens and Simpson scored to keep Fairfield close but they trailed for the entire first quarter, a rarity for Fairfield, 10-6.
Jefferson and Bennett continued to score for Rusk and they built the lead to near double digits, until Braden Bossier and Jada Clark scored on consecutive possessions and Simpson sparked the Lady Eagle offense with four of her six in the last moments of the first half. Bennett tacked on four more to finish the half with 12 points off the bench and Fairfield shaved a point off of the lead trailing 22-19, having made only five of 13 free throw attempts.
Rusk came out with a big third quarter and did build a double digit lead heading into the fourth period. Foreman hit a pair of three pointers and Jefferson scored four points in the period to build a 37-26 lead. Jarahle Daniels scored all five of her points in the third to keep Fairfield within sight of the surging Rusk Lady Eagles.
Rusk point guard Rahaiya Kennedy began controlling the clock on each possession to shorten the game and stave off a Fairfield comeback. Breyunna Dowell scored on three straight possessions, two on great passes from McKinna Brackens and Bossier. Brackens and Bossier would add scores to cut the lead to 45-42 with 21 seconds remaining. Rusk threw the ball in from the Fairfield end of the floor and Daniels stole the ball and set her feet but the three pointer bounced out and Rusk held on for the win.
The loss put Fairfield at 4-1 in district play and Rusk improved to 3-2, still a game back with three playing dates remaining in the regular season.
Fairfield took to the road to play the Palesine Ladycats and coasted to a 66-42 win. Trying to erase the Tuesday game, Fairfield came out and rebounded Palestine misses and Jada Clark darted for the other end with eight first period points. Palestine would hang close in the first period and only trailed 18-12 and the end of the first.
The Lady Eagle defense got into rhythm over the next two periods and built a 50-30 lead. Bossier scored eight in the period to offset two three pointers by Jordan of the Wildcats. Bossier added six more in the fourth and Emori Davis had two scores and Essence Watkins added a score in the fourth to set the final tally.
Braden Bossier had 21 points and 13 rebounds and was followed closely by Clark and her 19 points and six steals. Fairfield regained the two game lead in the district race with their win and a Rusk loss to Mexia, so the Lady Eagles have a two game lead with two games remaining.
