Lions use 2nd half to roll past Fayetteville
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — For the second time this season. the Fairfield Lions gained a victory over the Fayetteville Rockets, this time around by using balanced scoring and tough defense for a 74-49 victory at Grandle Gymnasium, staying undefeated in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference.
In their first meeting this season, the Lions won 87-78 at Fayetteville, but this time around, the Lions managed to keep the Rockets on the launching pad by keeping them to under 50 points total, including just 20 points for the second half.
One of the bigger reasons the Lions (7-0, 10-5) won the game was the aforementioned defense, as they kept Fayetteville's D.J. Iles to five points in the three-plus quarters he played in, before he left the game with an injury in the fourth quarter. Iles averages 30-plus points per game this season and is one of the better players in the SHAC.
FHS led 18-17 after the first quarter as they finished the game 28-of-53 from the field (53 percent), while the Lions' defense held the Rockets to 8-of-62 (13 percent) for the game.
[[In-content Ad]]"In the second half, getting Joey (Wilson) in the game and controlling the boards was big for our defense," FHS head coach Everett Snyder said. "With Ryan (Bates) and Gage (Montgomery) in there, we have two good rebounders, but with Joey in there with them, we limited Fayetteville to one shot."
Wilson was charged with two fouls before the first minute of the game was compete and didn't return to the game until the third frame.
"We did a better job defensively in the second half," Snyder said. "Our big men stayed on their feet, stepped up in the lane.
"We took a couple charges, and the kids stepped up in the second half."
Where the game really started to shift in favor of the Lions was in the early stages of the second quarter. The Rockets (6-4, 10-7) began the second with a layup to take a 19-18 advantage with 7:40 on the clock.
Once FHS senior Gage Montgomery scored points in the paint at the 7:28 mark to put FHS ahead 20-19, the Lions never trailed for the remainder of the conference matchup.
The two points by Montgomery, who totaled 13 points and 14 rebounds, began a 10-0 run by the hosts with Ryan Bates scoring two points on a layup and Cody Bennett breaking loose with two 3-pointers in less than a minute to put the Lions ahead 28-19 with 3:09 left in the quarter.
Bennett and Bates each ended the game with 14 points. Bates had six rebounds, while Bennett had three steals and three assists.
Fayetteville came back to make a 3-pointer of their own, but it was Bennett stealing the basketball and taking it to the hoop on a fast break for a 30-22 advantage. Fayetteville ended the quarter with five straight points to cut the Lions' lead to 30-27 at halftime.
At the start of the third, the Lions opened the quarter with a 6-3 run for a 36-30 lead with all six points from Bates and Montgomery.
"Ryan had a mismatch on him and got inside on them," Snyder said.
At the 4:40 mark, Blake Hildebrant sank a 3-pointer to put the Lions ahead 41-33. Hildebrant led the Lions in scoring with 15 points, and he also had five rebounds.
Later in the third, the Lions went on a 10-0 run to increase their lead to 51-37 with 1:02 left in the quarter. The 10-point run began with four straight points by Bates, followed by a put-back bucket by Joey Wilson, then two more points by Bates. Bennett capped off the scoring run with two free throws.
With a 53-41 lead at the start of the fourth, the Lions gained scoring from Hildebrant, Bates, Montgomery, Matthew Leach, Wilson and Wyatt Crothers to outscore the Rockets, 21-8 in the final eight minutes.
The Rockets were led in scoring by Max Iles with 19 points and Tanner Fowler with 12. Scottie Mullins finished with 10 points.
The Lions finished 10-of-15 from the free-throw line.
"I'm really pleased with how we've been playing in the past month," Snyder said. "We have everyone back and healthy, and the kids are working hard in practice.
"We are working on executing our plays better and limiting our turnovers. We are doing a better job of protecting the basketball."
FHS will play again on Saturday with a JV start of 4 p.m. and varsity to follow. The early start is so Fairfield can hold their homecoming dance.
In their first meeting this season, the Lions won 87-78 at Fayetteville, but this time around, the Lions managed to keep the Rockets on the launching pad by keeping them to under 50 points total, including just 20 points for the second half.
One of the bigger reasons the Lions (7-0, 10-5) won the game was the aforementioned defense, as they kept Fayetteville's D.J. Iles to five points in the three-plus quarters he played in, before he left the game with an injury in the fourth quarter. Iles averages 30-plus points per game this season and is one of the better players in the SHAC.
FHS led 18-17 after the first quarter as they finished the game 28-of-53 from the field (53 percent), while the Lions' defense held the Rockets to 8-of-62 (13 percent) for the game.
[[In-content Ad]]"In the second half, getting Joey (Wilson) in the game and controlling the boards was big for our defense," FHS head coach Everett Snyder said. "With Ryan (Bates) and Gage (Montgomery) in there, we have two good rebounders, but with Joey in there with them, we limited Fayetteville to one shot."
Wilson was charged with two fouls before the first minute of the game was compete and didn't return to the game until the third frame.
"We did a better job defensively in the second half," Snyder said. "Our big men stayed on their feet, stepped up in the lane.
"We took a couple charges, and the kids stepped up in the second half."
Where the game really started to shift in favor of the Lions was in the early stages of the second quarter. The Rockets (6-4, 10-7) began the second with a layup to take a 19-18 advantage with 7:40 on the clock.
Once FHS senior Gage Montgomery scored points in the paint at the 7:28 mark to put FHS ahead 20-19, the Lions never trailed for the remainder of the conference matchup.
The two points by Montgomery, who totaled 13 points and 14 rebounds, began a 10-0 run by the hosts with Ryan Bates scoring two points on a layup and Cody Bennett breaking loose with two 3-pointers in less than a minute to put the Lions ahead 28-19 with 3:09 left in the quarter.
Bennett and Bates each ended the game with 14 points. Bates had six rebounds, while Bennett had three steals and three assists.
Fayetteville came back to make a 3-pointer of their own, but it was Bennett stealing the basketball and taking it to the hoop on a fast break for a 30-22 advantage. Fayetteville ended the quarter with five straight points to cut the Lions' lead to 30-27 at halftime.
At the start of the third, the Lions opened the quarter with a 6-3 run for a 36-30 lead with all six points from Bates and Montgomery.
"Ryan had a mismatch on him and got inside on them," Snyder said.
At the 4:40 mark, Blake Hildebrant sank a 3-pointer to put the Lions ahead 41-33. Hildebrant led the Lions in scoring with 15 points, and he also had five rebounds.
Later in the third, the Lions went on a 10-0 run to increase their lead to 51-37 with 1:02 left in the quarter. The 10-point run began with four straight points by Bates, followed by a put-back bucket by Joey Wilson, then two more points by Bates. Bennett capped off the scoring run with two free throws.
With a 53-41 lead at the start of the fourth, the Lions gained scoring from Hildebrant, Bates, Montgomery, Matthew Leach, Wilson and Wyatt Crothers to outscore the Rockets, 21-8 in the final eight minutes.
The Rockets were led in scoring by Max Iles with 19 points and Tanner Fowler with 12. Scottie Mullins finished with 10 points.
The Lions finished 10-of-15 from the free-throw line.
"I'm really pleased with how we've been playing in the past month," Snyder said. "We have everyone back and healthy, and the kids are working hard in practice.
"We are working on executing our plays better and limiting our turnovers. We are doing a better job of protecting the basketball."
FHS will play again on Saturday with a JV start of 4 p.m. and varsity to follow. The early start is so Fairfield can hold their homecoming dance.