9 wins in a row for Fairfield Lady Lions
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — Starting the game with a 10-0 run, followed by a 17-point lead at halftime, the Fairfield Lady Lions took down the visiting Whiteoak Lady Wildcats by a 59-30 score, giving them nine straight wins.
FHS began their program-record winning streak on Jan. 12 with a 47-41 win over Fayetteville. Since then, they’ve defeated Manchester twice (68-36, 56-34), Clermont Northeastern (46-21), Ripley (39-35), Paint Valley (75-67), West Union (58-47) and Blanchester (54-46).
In this current winning streak, FHS is averaging 55.8 points per game, and their opponents have an average score of 39.7.
“From my initial research, I found one other team that won eight in a row (from Fairfield), and to my knowledge. As far as I know, this is likely the longest win streak in (Fairfield) girls basketball history, and that’s pretty cool to be a part of, if that’s accurate,” FHS head coach Chad Hamilton said. “We started 3-7, and our goal at that point was to be 12-7 headed into the tournament draw. We’ve done our job, so hopefully the voting goes well for us and we get a favorable seed.”
[[In-content Ad]]
Honored before the game were Fairfield seniors Carly Arnold and Abigail Newkirk for their four seasons with the Lady Lions basketball program.
“Abby and Carly are the only two seniors. They were able to stick it out for all four years, and I thank them both for that,” Hamilton said. “There are a lot of ups and downs in a high school basketball career, and I told them that they learned a lot of lessons in those four years that they probably don’t realize yet but will help them in the future.
“With those two, you know what you’re going to get all the time. They’re going to play hard. Those two will be missed, and they were two of the ones who turned things around. We appreciate them.”
The Lady Lions (8-3, 12-7) began the game with the aforementioned 10-0 run in a span of 2:30 with the first seven points by Grace Shope, including a 3-pointer at the 6:19 mark of the first frame. Arnold made it a 10-point lead with a 3-pointer of her own at the 5:30 mark.
Shope led all scorers with 22 points, including a total of four 3-pointers and five two-point baskets. Arnold totaled nine points in the win, making three 3-pointers on the night.
Whiteoak (1-9, 2-17) managed to break up the scoring run of the Lady Lions with two points by Chelsea Chisman, beginning a run of nine straight points for WHS. Chisman added two more points off free throws after her initial points, and Morgan Thompson followed with a 3-pointer at the 4:23 mark.
WHS capped off their scoring run with a jumper by Chisman with 3:43 left on the first-quarter clock for a 10-9 score.
Blake Adams broke up the scoring for WHS with a free throw conversion for the Lady Lions, and Arnold added to the FHS points with her second trey of the game. Brianna Barnes made it a 10-point lead for FHS with 1:07 left in the first with a put-back basket, but WHS made it a seven-point deficit to end the opening frame with a 3-pointer by Megan Botts with 22 seconds on the scoreboard.
Fairfield controlled the second frame, outscoring the Lady ‘Cats 18-8 for a 37-20 halftime lead. Shope made two 3-pointers in the second frame and scored a total of 10 points in the quarter.
Also for FHS in the second, Chloe Barber, Alexis Tate, Adams and Barnes all contributed to the scoring with two points each in the second. Adams finished the game with seven points.
For Whiteoak’s eight points in the second, Maggie Carr made two two-point baskets, plus Thompson and Chisman each added two points in the quarter.
Carr led the Lady ’Cats with nine points, followed by Chisman with eight points.
“We came out in the first half and shot the ball really well,” Hamilton said. “Luckily, the press gave them some problems there in the first quarter. Even after they were able to call a timeout and make some adjustments, in our half court set, we shot really well, so that kind of set the tone for the night.”
Following halftime, WHS was held to 10 points scoring combined in the second half (five points each quarter), while the Lady Lions scored 22 points in the second half with a 15-point third frame and seven-point fourth quarter.
In the third, FHS had a third 3-pointer from Arnold to open the quarter, along with points from Shope, Trinity Huff, Adams and Barnes. In the fourth, Shope made her fourth 3-pointer, while Ashley Sowards and Barnes each added two points in the final frame.
For WHS in the second half, Carr and Cylee Bratton each scored five points.
FHS began their program-record winning streak on Jan. 12 with a 47-41 win over Fayetteville. Since then, they’ve defeated Manchester twice (68-36, 56-34), Clermont Northeastern (46-21), Ripley (39-35), Paint Valley (75-67), West Union (58-47) and Blanchester (54-46).
In this current winning streak, FHS is averaging 55.8 points per game, and their opponents have an average score of 39.7.
“From my initial research, I found one other team that won eight in a row (from Fairfield), and to my knowledge. As far as I know, this is likely the longest win streak in (Fairfield) girls basketball history, and that’s pretty cool to be a part of, if that’s accurate,” FHS head coach Chad Hamilton said. “We started 3-7, and our goal at that point was to be 12-7 headed into the tournament draw. We’ve done our job, so hopefully the voting goes well for us and we get a favorable seed.”
[[In-content Ad]]
Honored before the game were Fairfield seniors Carly Arnold and Abigail Newkirk for their four seasons with the Lady Lions basketball program.
“Abby and Carly are the only two seniors. They were able to stick it out for all four years, and I thank them both for that,” Hamilton said. “There are a lot of ups and downs in a high school basketball career, and I told them that they learned a lot of lessons in those four years that they probably don’t realize yet but will help them in the future.
“With those two, you know what you’re going to get all the time. They’re going to play hard. Those two will be missed, and they were two of the ones who turned things around. We appreciate them.”
The Lady Lions (8-3, 12-7) began the game with the aforementioned 10-0 run in a span of 2:30 with the first seven points by Grace Shope, including a 3-pointer at the 6:19 mark of the first frame. Arnold made it a 10-point lead with a 3-pointer of her own at the 5:30 mark.
Shope led all scorers with 22 points, including a total of four 3-pointers and five two-point baskets. Arnold totaled nine points in the win, making three 3-pointers on the night.
Whiteoak (1-9, 2-17) managed to break up the scoring run of the Lady Lions with two points by Chelsea Chisman, beginning a run of nine straight points for WHS. Chisman added two more points off free throws after her initial points, and Morgan Thompson followed with a 3-pointer at the 4:23 mark.
WHS capped off their scoring run with a jumper by Chisman with 3:43 left on the first-quarter clock for a 10-9 score.
Blake Adams broke up the scoring for WHS with a free throw conversion for the Lady Lions, and Arnold added to the FHS points with her second trey of the game. Brianna Barnes made it a 10-point lead for FHS with 1:07 left in the first with a put-back basket, but WHS made it a seven-point deficit to end the opening frame with a 3-pointer by Megan Botts with 22 seconds on the scoreboard.
Fairfield controlled the second frame, outscoring the Lady ‘Cats 18-8 for a 37-20 halftime lead. Shope made two 3-pointers in the second frame and scored a total of 10 points in the quarter.
Also for FHS in the second, Chloe Barber, Alexis Tate, Adams and Barnes all contributed to the scoring with two points each in the second. Adams finished the game with seven points.
For Whiteoak’s eight points in the second, Maggie Carr made two two-point baskets, plus Thompson and Chisman each added two points in the quarter.
Carr led the Lady ’Cats with nine points, followed by Chisman with eight points.
“We came out in the first half and shot the ball really well,” Hamilton said. “Luckily, the press gave them some problems there in the first quarter. Even after they were able to call a timeout and make some adjustments, in our half court set, we shot really well, so that kind of set the tone for the night.”
Following halftime, WHS was held to 10 points scoring combined in the second half (five points each quarter), while the Lady Lions scored 22 points in the second half with a 15-point third frame and seven-point fourth quarter.
In the third, FHS had a third 3-pointer from Arnold to open the quarter, along with points from Shope, Trinity Huff, Adams and Barnes. In the fourth, Shope made her fourth 3-pointer, while Ashley Sowards and Barnes each added two points in the final frame.
For WHS in the second half, Carr and Cylee Bratton each scored five points.