Fairfield Lady Lions defend home court against Peebles
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — The Fairfield Lady Lions defended their home court in style Thursday night. They used not only aggressive offense, but their defense stood up to the test brought by the Peebles Lady Indians at Grandle Gymnasium. Along with a 30-point game from Grace Shope, the Lady Lions defeated the visiting Lady Indians, 58-43.
The Lady Lions trailed for a total of 1:07 in their Southern Hills Athletic Conference game at Grandle Gymnasium against the Lady Indians, and that was from the 6:23 mark of the first frame until the clock read 5:16. Following what was a 3-pointer by Shope, the Lady Lions locked up the lead for good, not relinquishing the lead for the remainder of the game.
“I told them tonight was a big game in determining how the league was going to go for us,” Fairfield head coach Chad Hamilton said. “I’m really happy with the way we shot, our defense was good and we had a few girls that traditionally are in foul trouble who really didn’t get in foul trouble tonight, and that’s big for us.”
FHS (2-1, 3-2) led by a 14-9 score after the first frame, where they scored first off points by Carly Arnold nine seconds into the game as she totaled six points in the win. After the score was tied the lone time at 2-2 with 6:45 left in the first, Peebles took what was their lone lead at the 6:23 mark off a basket by Jerilin Tolliver.
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Following the aforementioned 3-pointer by Shope with 5:16 left in the quarter, the Lady Lions had points from Alexis Tate who powered her way to the hoop, followed by a free throw by Blake Adams and two more free throws by Shope for a 10-4 lead for the Lady Lions. Shope gained her 30 points with five two-point field goals, four 3-pointers and was 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Shope shot 9-of-18 from the field, 4-of-6 from the three-point line and also totaled five rebounds.
“I’ve been waiting for Grace to have that breakthrough night,” Hamilton said. She shot well, and she was 8-for-8 from the line tonight, which is good. She’s going to get to the free-throw line a lot, and she can convert, so it’s just easy points. She shot the ball really well tonight.”
PHS answered with two points, but again Shope added to the FHS side of the scoring with a one-handed shot while in the air, pushing the FHS advantage to 12-6 with 2:41 left in the opening quarter. Peebles’s Jessica Sowards connected from beyond the arc to get back to within three points of the Lady Lion lead with 1:45 left in the quarter. Sowards led PHS with 13 points.
A steal near half-court and a layup by Shope put FHS ahead by five points to end the first frame with a 14-9 lead.
The Lady Lions outscored Peebles, 19-6 with FHS scoring the first six points of the frame with a free throw from Tate, a 3-pointer by Shope and a put-back basket by Abigail Newkirk for a 20-9 advantage with 6:45 left in the second quarter.
Two points by PHS made it an 11-point deficit for the visitors, but that was answered with two free throws by Shope, a put-back bucket from Adams and a layup by Arnold for a 28-11 score with 2:34 until halftime. At the half, Shope was outscoring Peebles, 16-15.
Peebles answered with a 3-pointer from McKinlee Ryan (who totaled 11 points) at the 1:47 mark, but the feat was equaled by Ashley Sowards, and the final two FHS points were from Brianna Barnes at the buzzer for an 18-point lead after 16 minutes of play at 33-15.
FHS increased their lead to 20 points after the third frame was complete for a 46-26 score, outscoring PHS 13-11. The game was well in hand once the fourth quarter arrived, as PHS got to within 13 points of the Lady Lions until Shope made it a 16-point deficit with a 3-pointer at the 3:13 mark of the final quarter.
The Lady Lions were outscored by Peebles in the fourth, 17-12.
Other totals for the Lady Lions included five points from Chloe Barber, including a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. Barnes and Newkirk each scored four points. Scoring three points each for FHS were Tate (six steals), Sowards and Adams (five rebounds).
Fairfield finished 12-of-14 from the free-throw line and made a total of six 3-pointers. PHS went 8-of-12 with their free throw shooting and totaled five 3-pointers.
The Lady Lions trailed for a total of 1:07 in their Southern Hills Athletic Conference game at Grandle Gymnasium against the Lady Indians, and that was from the 6:23 mark of the first frame until the clock read 5:16. Following what was a 3-pointer by Shope, the Lady Lions locked up the lead for good, not relinquishing the lead for the remainder of the game.
“I told them tonight was a big game in determining how the league was going to go for us,” Fairfield head coach Chad Hamilton said. “I’m really happy with the way we shot, our defense was good and we had a few girls that traditionally are in foul trouble who really didn’t get in foul trouble tonight, and that’s big for us.”
FHS (2-1, 3-2) led by a 14-9 score after the first frame, where they scored first off points by Carly Arnold nine seconds into the game as she totaled six points in the win. After the score was tied the lone time at 2-2 with 6:45 left in the first, Peebles took what was their lone lead at the 6:23 mark off a basket by Jerilin Tolliver.
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Following the aforementioned 3-pointer by Shope with 5:16 left in the quarter, the Lady Lions had points from Alexis Tate who powered her way to the hoop, followed by a free throw by Blake Adams and two more free throws by Shope for a 10-4 lead for the Lady Lions. Shope gained her 30 points with five two-point field goals, four 3-pointers and was 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Shope shot 9-of-18 from the field, 4-of-6 from the three-point line and also totaled five rebounds.
“I’ve been waiting for Grace to have that breakthrough night,” Hamilton said. She shot well, and she was 8-for-8 from the line tonight, which is good. She’s going to get to the free-throw line a lot, and she can convert, so it’s just easy points. She shot the ball really well tonight.”
PHS answered with two points, but again Shope added to the FHS side of the scoring with a one-handed shot while in the air, pushing the FHS advantage to 12-6 with 2:41 left in the opening quarter. Peebles’s Jessica Sowards connected from beyond the arc to get back to within three points of the Lady Lion lead with 1:45 left in the quarter. Sowards led PHS with 13 points.
A steal near half-court and a layup by Shope put FHS ahead by five points to end the first frame with a 14-9 lead.
The Lady Lions outscored Peebles, 19-6 with FHS scoring the first six points of the frame with a free throw from Tate, a 3-pointer by Shope and a put-back basket by Abigail Newkirk for a 20-9 advantage with 6:45 left in the second quarter.
Two points by PHS made it an 11-point deficit for the visitors, but that was answered with two free throws by Shope, a put-back bucket from Adams and a layup by Arnold for a 28-11 score with 2:34 until halftime. At the half, Shope was outscoring Peebles, 16-15.
Peebles answered with a 3-pointer from McKinlee Ryan (who totaled 11 points) at the 1:47 mark, but the feat was equaled by Ashley Sowards, and the final two FHS points were from Brianna Barnes at the buzzer for an 18-point lead after 16 minutes of play at 33-15.
FHS increased their lead to 20 points after the third frame was complete for a 46-26 score, outscoring PHS 13-11. The game was well in hand once the fourth quarter arrived, as PHS got to within 13 points of the Lady Lions until Shope made it a 16-point deficit with a 3-pointer at the 3:13 mark of the final quarter.
The Lady Lions were outscored by Peebles in the fourth, 17-12.
Other totals for the Lady Lions included five points from Chloe Barber, including a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. Barnes and Newkirk each scored four points. Scoring three points each for FHS were Tate (six steals), Sowards and Adams (five rebounds).
Fairfield finished 12-of-14 from the free-throw line and made a total of six 3-pointers. PHS went 8-of-12 with their free throw shooting and totaled five 3-pointers.