Lions fall to Ripley on homecoming
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — Homecoming for the Fairfield Lions saw them crown a new king and queen in pregame ceremonies, and for three quarters they were within four points of the visiting Ripley Blue Jays. Then in the fourth, the host Lions were unable to get any closer, as they lost their conference matchup to Ripley, 71-66.
The Lions (4-9, 10-11) battled strong against their Division II Southern Hills Athletic Conference opponent on Friday night but in the opening frame they were held to just nine points, while the visiting Ripley squad totaled 15 points for a six-point lead at the end of the first frame.
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Fairfield and Ripley were tied twice in the first frame at 5-5 and 7-7 with the Lions tying the score on both occasions with Cody Gragg making it a 5-5 score at the 2:58 mark on two free throws and then at 7-7 when James Bentley scored points in the paint with 2:06 on the first-quarter clock. Also scoring points in the quarter were Sam Buddelmeyer with a free throw and Gragg, who scored two more points on a layup late in the quarter.
Gragg was the leading scorer for FHS, finishing the game with 22 points. He totaled four 3-pointers and four two-point baskets and was 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Buddelmeyer followed with 16 points, as did teammate Tucker Ayres. In Buddelmeyer’s 16-point effort, he made six two-point baskets and was 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.
In his 16 points on the night, Ayers was 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, along with five two-point baskets and one 3-pointer.
The Lions had a much better second quarter where they scored 18 points, while the Blue Jays tallied 14 points for a 29-27 score in favor of Ripley at halftime.
Fairfield opened the second with a 3-pointer by Gragg, and he followed that up with another 3-pointer at the 6:30 mark, tying the score at 15-15. The Lions took the lead with two points by Bentley one minute later, but Ripley’s Jaki Royal tied the score at 17-17 with 5:16 left in the second frame. Royal finished the game with 18 points.
The Lions took a 20-17 advantage off a three-point play by Wyatt Willey, only to see Ryan Harney of RHS sink two free throws to cut the Lions’ lead to a single point with 4:17 left in the first half. Harney finished the game with 22 points.
Bentley answered with a layup, only to see Harney equal the feat a short time later. Gragg increased the Lions’ advantage to four points with a 3-pointer at the 2:27 mark. Landon Rigdon of Ripley had a 3-pointer of his own 16 seconds later to again make it a one-point differential.
Fairfield’s Ayres added to the Lions' side of the scoreboard at the 1:53 mark of the second, but FHS scored the final three points of the second to take a two-point lead at 29-27.
The Lions added another 18-point quarter in the third, but the Blue Jays still had the upper hand with a 20-point frame to keep the lead, this time at 49-45.
In the third for the Lions, Gragg had five points, including a 3-pointer, while Buddelmeyer made four baskets for eight points. Also in the third, Ayres had two two-point buckets and Bentley connected with a free throw.
Fairfield took the lead with 2:50 left in the third off a 3-pointer from Gragg, but the Lions eventually lost the lead and trailed by four points entering the fourth quarter at 49-45.
The Lions scored 21 points in the fourth frame, but again the Blue Jays scored more with a 22-point final frame to win by five points.
In the fourth, Fairfield got as close as four points from the Ripley lead in the early stages of the quarter, and later with 3:30 left in regulation to within five points at 61-56 following two points by Ayres. Fairfield reached the five-point differential at the end of regulation when Buddelmeyer scored two points at the buzzer.
Others to score points in the fourth were Gragg and Quinton Beatty. Ayres scored 10 of his 16 points for the game in the fourth frame.
The Lions were 11-of-18 from the free-throw line and made a total of five 3-pointers. Ripley made seven 3-pointers and finished 10-of-16 in their free-throw attempts.
Prior to the varsity game, Caitlyn Melson was crowned homecoming queen, and Brandon Vidourek was named homecoming king.
In JV play, the Blue Jays defeated the Lions, 41-35. The Lions were led in scoring by Ethan Saunders with 12 points and Phoenix Taylor with 10 points.
The freshmen game was also won by Ripley at 46-36. Conner Priest led the Lions with 10 points, and Caleb Payne scored nine points.
The Lions (4-9, 10-11) battled strong against their Division II Southern Hills Athletic Conference opponent on Friday night but in the opening frame they were held to just nine points, while the visiting Ripley squad totaled 15 points for a six-point lead at the end of the first frame.
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Fairfield and Ripley were tied twice in the first frame at 5-5 and 7-7 with the Lions tying the score on both occasions with Cody Gragg making it a 5-5 score at the 2:58 mark on two free throws and then at 7-7 when James Bentley scored points in the paint with 2:06 on the first-quarter clock. Also scoring points in the quarter were Sam Buddelmeyer with a free throw and Gragg, who scored two more points on a layup late in the quarter.
Gragg was the leading scorer for FHS, finishing the game with 22 points. He totaled four 3-pointers and four two-point baskets and was 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Buddelmeyer followed with 16 points, as did teammate Tucker Ayres. In Buddelmeyer’s 16-point effort, he made six two-point baskets and was 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.
In his 16 points on the night, Ayers was 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, along with five two-point baskets and one 3-pointer.
The Lions had a much better second quarter where they scored 18 points, while the Blue Jays tallied 14 points for a 29-27 score in favor of Ripley at halftime.
Fairfield opened the second with a 3-pointer by Gragg, and he followed that up with another 3-pointer at the 6:30 mark, tying the score at 15-15. The Lions took the lead with two points by Bentley one minute later, but Ripley’s Jaki Royal tied the score at 17-17 with 5:16 left in the second frame. Royal finished the game with 18 points.
The Lions took a 20-17 advantage off a three-point play by Wyatt Willey, only to see Ryan Harney of RHS sink two free throws to cut the Lions’ lead to a single point with 4:17 left in the first half. Harney finished the game with 22 points.
Bentley answered with a layup, only to see Harney equal the feat a short time later. Gragg increased the Lions’ advantage to four points with a 3-pointer at the 2:27 mark. Landon Rigdon of Ripley had a 3-pointer of his own 16 seconds later to again make it a one-point differential.
Fairfield’s Ayres added to the Lions' side of the scoreboard at the 1:53 mark of the second, but FHS scored the final three points of the second to take a two-point lead at 29-27.
The Lions added another 18-point quarter in the third, but the Blue Jays still had the upper hand with a 20-point frame to keep the lead, this time at 49-45.
In the third for the Lions, Gragg had five points, including a 3-pointer, while Buddelmeyer made four baskets for eight points. Also in the third, Ayres had two two-point buckets and Bentley connected with a free throw.
Fairfield took the lead with 2:50 left in the third off a 3-pointer from Gragg, but the Lions eventually lost the lead and trailed by four points entering the fourth quarter at 49-45.
The Lions scored 21 points in the fourth frame, but again the Blue Jays scored more with a 22-point final frame to win by five points.
In the fourth, Fairfield got as close as four points from the Ripley lead in the early stages of the quarter, and later with 3:30 left in regulation to within five points at 61-56 following two points by Ayres. Fairfield reached the five-point differential at the end of regulation when Buddelmeyer scored two points at the buzzer.
Others to score points in the fourth were Gragg and Quinton Beatty. Ayres scored 10 of his 16 points for the game in the fourth frame.
The Lions were 11-of-18 from the free-throw line and made a total of five 3-pointers. Ripley made seven 3-pointers and finished 10-of-16 in their free-throw attempts.
Prior to the varsity game, Caitlyn Melson was crowned homecoming queen, and Brandon Vidourek was named homecoming king.
In JV play, the Blue Jays defeated the Lions, 41-35. The Lions were led in scoring by Ethan Saunders with 12 points and Phoenix Taylor with 10 points.
The freshmen game was also won by Ripley at 46-36. Conner Priest led the Lions with 10 points, and Caleb Payne scored nine points.