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Fairfield Lady Lions give valiant effort in district final loss to undefeated North Adams

Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
WAVERLY — For the entire four quarters of their Division III SE District final game played at the Waverly Downtown Gym, the No. 7 seeded Fairfield Lady Lions and No. 1 seeded North Adams Lady Green Devils didn’t let up and left it all on the court, as the two conference foes battled until the final buzzer sounded. 

As for Fairfield, they held a 10-point lead with 6:53 left in the fourth quarter against the No. 2 state-ranked North Adams team, a team that entered the district final game with 24 consecutive wins, but a win for Fairfield wasn’t in the books. 

Instead, from the 6:32 mark until the final buzzer sounded North Adams used aggressive defense and sound offense to score the final 12 points of the game, defeating the Lady Lions, 43-41.

Fairfield (19-6) opened the fourth quarter with a six-point lead at 37-31 and even scored the first four points of the quarter with a free throw to start the final-frame scoring by Hailey Tolle with 7:13 on the clock. Then came a 3-pointer by Hannah Hamilton with 6:53 left in the quarter for a 41-31 Lady Lions lead, as North Adams called a timeout.

Everything changed after the Lady Green Devils called a timeout, as they became a team playing to save an undefeated record and near-top state ranking, all while trailing by 10 points against a Southern Hills Athletic Conference rival. 

With their backs against the wall and working to avoid an upset in the district final contest, the Lady Green Devils played with more aggression and like a team who had everything to lose. They began their comeback against Fairfield with a free throw made by Kenlie Jones, and later with 3:59 left in regulation North Adams’ Laney Ruckel scored two points in the paint, bringing NAHS to within seven points of tying the score. 

Fairfield called a timeout with 3:41 on the clock, but they missed a free throw a few moments later, and North Adams capitalized with two points off a basket by Harlee Brand. A few seconds later, the Lady Lions had a double-dribble called on them, and that was followed by a basket from Keetyn Hupp, then a 3-pointer by Ruckel, tying the score at 41 with 1:50 on the clock in the fourth frame.

North Adams took the lead with a free throw made by Tatum Grooms with 1:07 remaining in the game. Fairfield called timeouts with 1:07 and 57.7 left in regulation, but the Lions missed a free throw opportunity, and the ball was rebounded by Hupp of North Adams, who was then fouled. 

Hupp made one of two free-throw attempts, improving to a two-point lead. Fairfield had a chance to tie the score or take the lead, but North Adams’s defense took over with Brand catching a Fairfield pass for the steal with less than a second on the clock. 

Eventually time ran out, and it was North Adams advancing and defeating Fairfield for a third time this season. The two regular-season meetings saw the Lady Green Devils win by scores of 51-37 in the season opener on Nov. 21 and 54-32 on Jan. 12. 

“You saw the heart in our girls,” Fairfield head coach Josh Stackhouse said. “We faced them twice in the year, focused on our defense, things we needed to work on. Our first game we played them zone, this game we played them all man and just really hung on. You’ve got to watch the shooters, Jones and Hupp, they're really good shooters. The girls played solid D on those two, and we worked on the switching and help side and then really, I feel, just stepped up our defensive game. Offensively, at this point in the season, there's nothing new. There's no new trick.

“Bottom line, it's their heart. They really fought and wanted this, and I mean, we had North Adams on their heels. I think you saw a very good team — second-ranked in the state and the talents there. But at the end of the day, they came out and we didn't execute the plays for all 32 minutes, but we fought for all 32.”

In the first quarter, the Lady Green Devils scored the first four points of the game, but Fairfield had an answer, that being Peyton Magee, who hit a shot with 4:40 left in the quarter. North Adams eventually led by four points again with 4:19 on the clock, but the Lady Lions had a jumper by Faith Donley to get FHS back to within two points of NAHS.

FHS added two final points in the opening quarter with another basket by Donley, but North Adams led 10-6 after the first frame. 

Fairfield bounced back in the second quarter, leading 22-21 at halftime, kicking off the quarter with a 3-pointer from Magee for a 10-9 lead at the 6:50 mark of the frame. North Adams answered with four consecutive points by Hupp, but it was Magee again sinking a 3-pointer, followed with a three-point play by Jobey Hattan, with Hattan driving to the lane for the basket while being fouled. After she made the free throw, FHS led 15-14 with 4:30 left in the second quarter.

At the 3:11 mark, Donley made two free throws, and after two points by the Lady Green Devils, Fairfield’s Hamilton connected with a 3-pointer from the corner of the court for a 20-16 lead. 

Hupp answered with a 3-pointer for North Adams, but two points from Tolle as she battled past the defense of North Adams (with the assist by Magee) saw FHS build a three-point lead at 22-19. Even with NAHS scoring the final points of the second frame, FHS led at halftime by one point at 22-21. 

FHS built their lead to six points once the third quarter closed, again, beginning the frame with a 3-pointer from Hamilton. Later in the third Magee also hit a 3-pointer, and Tolle sank two free throws for a 30-23 Fairfield advantage with 5:33 left in the third. 

After a 10-second violation was called on the Lady Lions, North Adams capitalized with two points by Grooms, and after a FHS turnover with 4:38 on the third-quarter clock, Jones of NAHS made a 3-pointer from long range, cutting Fairfield’s lead down to two points at 30-28. 

Fairfield came back with seven straight points off a three-point play by Donley and consecutive baskets from Tolle with FHS holding a nine-point lead at 37-28 with 1:16 on the clock. North Adams scored the final points of the third with a 3-pointer from Brand, putting the Lady Lions ahead, 37-31 after three quarters. 

The Lady Lions were led in scoring by Magee with 13 points, while Tolle and Hamilton each scored nine points. Donley totaled seven points, and Hattan ended the game with three points. 

As a team, the Lady Lions totaled eight two-point baskets, six 3-pointers, and they were 7-of-12 from the free-throw line.

“I just am very proud of all the girls, top to bottom,” Stackhouse said. “We faced a lot of adversity with the original coach leaving. I was on staff last year, stepping up. These girls did anything and everything I asked them to do, and they fought hard. This is where we wanted to be. It obviously wasn't the outcome we wanted, but the future is bright.

“We can only grow and learn from here, so I'm excited for the future and hope they are too.”

Hupp led North Adams with 14 points, followed by Katelynn Boerger with eight points. The rest of the final totals for NAHS included Ruckel (seven), Grooms (five), Brand (five) and Jones (four). 

North Adams totaled 13 two-point baskets, four 3-pointers and were 5-of-13 from the free-throw line. 

Fairfield says goodbye to two seniors, those players being Peyton Magee and Hailey Tolle. 

Magee became just the fifth player in Fairfield girls basketball history to score 1,000-plus points in her varsity career this season. She also set the school record for 3-pointers made in a single season, plus she set career milestones for steals, assists, 3-pointers in a game and rebounds. 

“Peyton has had a very storied career for Fairfield, as she is a role model for all little girls,” Stackhouse said. “I teach in the school, and little girls look up to her. They come to the games and want to get their picture with her. Hailey Tolle took two years off, but I think at times throughout the year you saw her athleticism, holy cow. There is a heart and drive and soul.

“Those two led all the underclassmen all year long. We live and practice and play by family, and those two led our family.”

Next for North Adams is a regional semifinal game on March 1 at 8 p.m., as they will be facing Portsmouth West at Logan High School. 

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