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Peyton Magee nets 1,000th career point; Fairfield wins at inaugural Chad Hodson Classic

Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — It was a day to celebrate being “The Ultimate Teammate” at Grandle Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon with Fairfield hosting the inaugural Chad Hodson Classic, and one Fairfield player, senior Peyton Magee, was the standout teammate as she earned her 1,000th career point in the Lady Lions’ 67-17 win over the visiting Blanchester Lady Wildcats. 

Magee needed 23 points to gain her 1,000th career point, as that’s just one of the many career milestones she’s accomplished in her four-year varsity career. Magee became just the fifth Lady Lions player (and seventh in Fairfield boys and girls basketball history) to achieve that feat, with her 23rd point needed for the 1,000 total coming on a three-point play in the third quarter. 

Fairfield held the lead in the third frame when Magee drove her way to the basket and scored two points while being fouled with 5:21 left on the clock. Magee then walked to the free-throw line, and with the fans ready to cheer for the next point scored for the career milestone, the senior sank the basket as the crowd in attendance cheered in celebration. 

“It feels really nice. It's like all my hard work has just paid off,” Magee told The Highland County Press. “It was a big goal. It wasn't one of my main ones —my main one was just to win — but to win while getting the 1,000 points really feels special.

“[Making the free throw] was definitely nerve-wracking. I was so nervous, but I had confidence in it.”

The game was paused for a few moments as Magee was awarded the game ball as she gave it to her father in the stands. After being cheered on by her teammates, the Lady Lions got back to the game and ended the third quarter with a 63-13 lead. 

The senior Magee led FHS with 23 points, ending her day with four two-point baskets, four 3-pointers and a 3-for-3 day from the free-throw line. 

Magee is also the all-time assists leader at Fairfield, and she’s on her way to milestone numbers in rebounds and steals as she continues the final season of her Fairfield career before joining Division II Tiffin University next fall. 

Fairfield head coach Josh Stackhouse spoke about Magee’s career at Fairfield as well as her leadership on and off the court.

“I think it's just another accolade that speaks to her character and the talent and the girl that she is and how she's represented the school and the Lady Lions program in the last four years,” Stackhouse said. “She's not worried about that accolade. They come, but that's not her first priority. Coming in tonight, she was 23 away from 1,000. She was 14 away from the all-time steals record of 300. She was 10 away from 500 rebounds, and I think she’s at 403 in assists, which is the career record of Fairfield. All of those across the board, I think they just speak to how unselfish she is.

“She does whatever is needed of her, whether it's crashing the boards, hitting a three, distributing the pass. She had a career high down at Rock Hill of 30 points, and we lost that game and that’s what mattered more to her. She had a phone call and was congratulated by her grandfather on her points, but her response was, ‘Well, we lost the game.’ The accolades, they come for a kid like that, who's willing to do anything any night for teammates to win, so she’s a great role model.”

Magee thanked God, her family and teammates when asked about her recent accomplishments.

“Two games ago, I got 400 assists,” she said. “It feels really nice. It's crazy to believe it, but it's nice. This season has been one to remember.

“My teammates have always been with me. They were striving to get me the ball, just to score the 1,000 points, and they've always been by my side no matter what. We're just a really big family, and I couldn't ask for a better team.

“I also definitely want to thank my family, and my number-one supporter is God.”

In the win, Fairfield started the game off with a strong effort and a 25-8 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter, starting with a 3-pointer from Magee, then followed by a fast-break basket from Faith Donley less than a minute into the non-conference game. After two points from the free-throw line by Blanchester, the Lady Lions answered with baskets from Hannah Hamilton, Donley and Magee for a 12-4 advantage with 4:58 on the clock. 

Later following points by Blanchester, Donley added a layup, followed by a 3-pointer from Donley, a 3-pointer from Magee, a three-point play by Magee and a put-back basket from Donley, the Lady Lions ended the first quarter with a 17-point lead at 25-8. Donley finished the game with 12 points, making four two-point baskets, one 3-pointer and going 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. 

Fairfield’s 17-point lead built into a 38-point advantage when halftime arrived as the Lady Lions led 50-12, outscoring Blanchester, 25-4 in the second quarter.

Fairfield opened the second frame with 10 straight points, and after BHS added points to their total, the Lady Lions went on a 14-2 run to end the second frame. In the second, Hamilton was on target as she made two 3-pointers and two two-point field goals for 10 points in the quarter. Hailey Tolle added two points in the second, while Magee made a 3-pointer and two two-point baskets. Rilee Quickle also scored three points in the second with two baskets made from the field and a free-throw conversion. 

The Lady Lions added 13 points in the third quarter, taking a 50-point lead once the quarter came to a close. Before Magee made her 1,000th career point, Kassi Miller knocked down a 3-pointer for FHS with 7:06 left in the quarter. Then came a free throw made by Donley, and that was followed with Magee’s aforementioned milestone three-point play.

FHS ended the quarter with two points from Tolle with an underhanded shot near the hoop and a layup from Quickle as FHS won the frame at 13-1.

In the final quarter, Fairfield scored four points with two made free throws from Tolle and a basket by Jobey Hattan. Blanchester also scored four points in the fourth quarter.

Other final scoring totals for the Lady Lions included Quickle with seven points, Tolle with six points, Miller with five points and Jobey Hattan with two points. 

As a team, the Lady Lions totaled 18 two-point baskets, and they finished 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. 

The win improves Fairfield to 16-5 overall, as they also have an SHAC record of 11-2 for the season, second place in the SHAC (Division I) standings.

As mentioned, the Lady Lions’ game kicked off the Chad Hodson Classic as the first of five games to raise money for the Chad Hodson Memorial Scholarship. Hodson, a graduate of FHS class of 1998 and a coach of numerous local sports including FHS boys and girls basketball, passed away Nov. 28, 2019 after battling cancer.

“I told the girls before the game, think about why we're here. He faced a lot of adversity,” Stackhouse said. “This is to honor him and his contributions to the school district, and the boys and girls basketball programs. Many of the girls knew him growing up, and I think some of them even were coached by him.

“I told them, we faced our own adversity this season, so I just want them to go out and make memories. At the end of the day, what you take with you when someone's gone are memories. I think today the Chad Hodson Classic is to carry on his memory and also carry on and continue to make more basketball memories with his connection in the community. That’s what I wanted the girls to do tonight — go out, have fun, and make memories for themselves and the fans and the community.”

Fairfield has one regular-season game left on their schedule before tournament play begins, as the regular-season finale is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 9 on the road at Portsmouth Clay for a non-conference contest with a JV start of 6 p.m.

The No. 7 seeded Lady Lions will start SE District Tournament play in the sectional round Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. against the winner of 18. Huntington (9-9) and 31. Zane Trace (0-17) at Fairfield.

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