The Fairfield Lady Eagles took three wins this week and earned a berth in the Class 4A state tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Fairfield (33-4) had to work at the win on Saturday and defeated the Hardin-Jefferson Lady Hawks with a late surge 54-50 to become the Region III representative. They will play Dallas Lincoln in the first state semifinal at 1pm at the Alamodome on Friday. Fredericksburg and Argyle will face off at 3:30 in the other semifinal.
On Tuesday, the Lady Eagles faced the China Spring Lady Cougars in the regional quarterfinal at Hearne High School and quickly turned the game into a runaway. Jada Clark scored eight points in the first four minutes off of five turnovers and Belle Johnson added a short jumper for a quick 11-2 lead on their way to a 33-14 halftime lead. Jarahle Daniels hit a three pointer in the second and Shadasia Brackens added another. Te’Yalla Simpson finished the period on a personal 4-0 run to open the big lead.
Fairfield hit six of eight shots in the third period to build on the lead. Braden Bossier and Breyunna Dowell scored and Clark added four points. The teams traded scores in the fourth quarter to take the 61-33 win to earn a second consecutive trip to the regional tournament.
The regional tournament site was the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. They would play the Houston Yates Lady Lions in the opening game of the tournament.
Dowell began the game with a pair of offensive rebounds and scores to remain close to the hot shooting from Yates. Tavin Oliver scored early and Malon Garner hit a three pointer and the teams each scored in a back and forth first period. Simpson scored to move the lead out to 10-5 and Clark and Shadasia Brackens added late baskets. Abigail Shackelford hit a three pointer at the buzzer to cut the Fairfield lead down to 16-14.
Daniels hit a three pointer to open the second period but the eight-minute frame belonged to Emori Davis. She hit a pair of three pointers and a couple of short jumpers and three of four from the free throw line to score all of her 13 points in the second. Yates remained close with a pair of three pointers from Garner, one by Shackelford and the last from Downsha Davis and the Fairfield lead at the half stood at 37-34.
Fairfield opened the game up late with some hot shooting from everyone. The Lady Eagles hit 23-31 from the field in the second half, including 13-14 in the fourth. Simpson and Kayelee Adams scored off of missed shots and McKinna Brackens hit a shot and was fouled to convert the three-point play.
The fourth period was a historic one for Fairfield with 27 points on the 13-14 shooting. Belle Johnson was 5-6 from the field with 12 points and Daniels hit all three of her shots. Dowell made both of hers and Adams made 5-7 in the second half. The Lady Eagles cruised through the final period for the 86-60 win and the right to play on Saturday. Hardin-Jefferson defeated a pesky Rusk team 70-57 in the second game for a rematch in the regional final.
Clark led five double digit scorers for Fairfield with 14 points. Davis and Daniels each scored 13 points, Johnson had 12 and Dowell scored 11 points.
Fairfield had some unfinished business with the team that eliminated them last season and the two teams were seeing them heading on a collision course to face each other for a second straight season, only this time the outcome would be different.
The Lady Eagles had some trouble shooting but were able to stay close at the free throw line. Dowell and Shadasia Brackens scored the only field goals in the period and Fairfield only hit four of ten at the line, but it was enough to keep the game close. Kassi Hardy scored from inside and Asia Wheeler hit a three pointer, and sophomore Ashlon Jackson connected on all four free throws and grabbed a 9-8 lead.
The teams hit a rhythm in the second period and the scoring increased. Wheeler scored off of a missed shot for an 11-8 lead but Dowell answered with a score and Bossier had a nice turnaround shot for the lead at 12-11. McKinna Brackens hit five of six from the free throw line and Jackson hit a three. She remained on the floor playing with three fouls. The Lady Hawks outscored Fairfield by two and held a 27-24 halftime lead.
Delberta Guillory-Smith scored the first field goal of the second half to extend the lead to 39-34. Bossier answered on a pass from Johnson. Jackson scored five straight points for the Lady Hawks, but Clark and McKinna Brackens scored to keep the game within one score. Molly Beavers scored to build the largest lead of the game at 36-29 and Bossier hit a couple of free throws and Adams scored and Daniels hit a three pointer to close the gap to 40-38. In the final seconds of the period, McKinna Brackens had a steal and scored at the buzzer to tie the game at 40-40.
Jackson scored to take the lead in the opening possession of the fourth period and Dowell answered with a pair of free throws. Daniels led the break on a pass from Johnson that threaded the needle and the game was again with a score. Bossier hit a pair of free throws to close the gap to 50-49.
During the fourth quarter, Shadasia Brackens drove the lane and was called for a player control foul, however, one of the fouls was issued to Dowell, which became her fourth foul. She would pick up her fifth foul with 2:22 remaining in the game and after a long discussion, the ruling was upheld even when everyone in the building knew it was wrong, since the coach staff attempted to make the officials aware of the mistake when it happened.
Bossier was fouled and hit both free throws to take the 51-50 lead in the final minute. Jada Clark had a score off of a turnover when the Hardin-Jefferson offense threw the ball into her hands. Her score put the Lady Eagles ahead 53-50 with eight seconds remaining. The Lady Hawks put the ball in play and McKinna Brackens stole it and was fouled, called an intentional foul by the officials so she was awarded two free throws alone at the stripe. She hit one of two and the lead was 54-50 with a tick over three seconds remaining. Hardin-Jefferson could not get down the floor and the Lady Eagles won the regional final by that same 54-50 score.
Fairfield clinches their first state semifinal berth since the 2013-2014 season. They did not advance to the final that year, so the determination is high for this version of the Fairfield Lady Eagles.
Ashlon Jackson of Hardin-Jefferson and Ranaiya Kennedy of Rusk were named to the all-tournament team, along with Abigail Shackelford of Houston Yates. McKinna Brackens was named on the all-tournament team and senior Braden Bossier was named the tournament most valuable player.
(Sports Photography by Melissa Lee)
