The Fairfield Lady Eagles split their four tournament games as the hosts of the Fairfield Invitational Basketball Tournament as the Johnson Activity Center on the campus of Fairfield High School.
The Lady Eagles had lost only once in the first fourteen games but faced some of the top quality of Central and East Texas in this tournament heading into district play next week.
The first opponent in the tournament was the Lady Tigers of Mount Vernon. Jimilyah Nash hit four three pointers in the first half and Jaci Abram hit six of her seven free throws in the 47-39 Lady Eagle victory. They went on a 9-2 run through the third period and held the lead to the end of the contest to earn the Pool B win.
They faced the Burnet Lady Bulldogs in the second game of pool play and would fall behind early. Following an 11-10 first period, the Lady Bulldogs scored 21 in the second with 14 of those points coming in the paint. Emma Hashbarger scored eight points in the period and the Lady Bulldogs took a 32-24 halftime lead.
Burnet held the eight-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and Blayke Brackens hit a three pointer, Nash added a score off a steal and Jaci Abram scored and was fouled after a backcourt steal and tied the game at 42 with five minutes remaining in the game. Brackens hit a driving layup to put the Lady Eagles ahead, but the Bulldogs regained the lead and closed the game out at the free throw line to complete the 53-48 win.
The Lady Eagles remained in the gold division bracket with the loss when Burnet lost to Mount Vernon to make all three teams split their pool games. Fairfield was top in point spread and faced the Lady Bees of Academy in what could be an opening round playoff matchup.
Academy took the early lead 12-11 and Fairfield promptly jumped onto a 6-0 run with three pointers from Nash and Kaylee Williams. Academy called timeout and then the Lady Bees went on 15-0 through the end of the first half and led 27-17.
Fairfield shaved two points off the halftime lead with eight points in the period but could get no closer throughout the second half and lost 52-42. It was the first time in over ten years that the Lady Eagles lost two games in their tournament.
The Lady Eagles bounced back in the consolation game with a dominating win over the Neches Lady Tigers. Fairfield hit 12 of 18 shots in the first half and led by seven at 28-21. Nash scored eight of her 12 points in the first half. Williams hit a pair of three pointers to open the second half and hit six of seven over a stretch and pulled out to a 47-27 lead and won 63-30 to close out the tournament.
The Fairfield Lady Eagles will continue District 20-3A play on Tuesday when they host the Groesbeck Lady Goats.
(Photos by Natalia V. Marsters)
