Fairfield wins by 40 points against Manchester
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — From start to finish, buzzer to buzzer and however else you want to put it, the Fairfield Lions — who were down two usual starters due to illness — came out at Grandle Gymnasium Friday night and dominated the Manchester Greyhounds, 77-37 for the win.
Fairfield didn’t have Tytis Cannon and Connor Priest on Friday as they missed the game with illness, but in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference game at Fairfield, the rest of the team took control and gained the 40-point win with nine players reaching the scoring column.
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“We came into the game knowing we wanted to run the ball, push the ball and to get into a rhythm, and I thought the boys did a nice job,” FHS head coach Josh Howland said. “We have some illness going on with Tytis and Connor being sick with fevers, and the boys we had stepped up and played well.
“Our seniors played hard, and Manchester is young, and they are battling some illness too.”
The Lions (5-5, 11-6) were in control from around the 5:38 mark of the first frame until the game ended with the Lions going from being tied at 6:05 left in the first frame at 7-7, to starting to build their lead and go ahead by 10 points after eight minutes ticked off the clock for a 25-15 advantage.
After Tucker Watson tied the game at 7-7 with a basket for the Lions, that was the start of 12 straight points for Fairfield, with Wyatt Willey following by connecting with a three-point play and Reese Teeters scoring two points off a basket. Next came five straight points by Bryson Simmons, including a three-point play of his own for a 17-7 lead, forcing Manchester to call a timeout with 4:34 left in the first frame.
Following a free-throw conversion by the Greyhounds, the Lions had two points from Watson, and later Simmons scored two points to make the score 21-11. Watson later added two more points in the first (giving him six points in the frame), while Willey scored two more points as well for a 25-13 lead. Manchester added two final points in the first to make it a 10-point differential on the scoreboard.
Simmons scored 10 points in the aforementioned first quarter and finished the game with 21 points to lead the Lions. He also collected four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Willey totaled 18 points in the SHAC win for the Lions, while the senior point guard added three rebounds, three assists and one steal. Watson finished the game with 10 points, three rebounds and a steal.
The Lions led 43-17 when the second quarter came to a close, outscoring the Greyhounds, 18-2 in the frame. Fairfield scored 16 straight points in the second, starting with a jumper by Teeters and two points from Simmons, followed with a full-court pass from Willey for the assist. Teeters finished the game with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and five steals.
Next were two points by Willey for a 31-15 lead by the Lions with 4:50 left in the first half. Wiley ended up scoring five straight points with another basket and a free-throw conversion.
Simmons followed with a three-point play, then Willey was back with two straight baskets, with the second one being assisted by James Bentley for a 26-point lead at 41-15 with 1:40 left in the second frame. Manchester finally scored in the quarter with a basket by Isaiah Scott, who led Manchester with 19 points in the game.
The Lions wrapped up the first quarter with two free throws by Simmons with 1:04 on the clock for the halftime score of 43-17.
James Bentley finished the game with nine points, 12 rebounds, three assists and a steal.
In the second half, the Lions outscored Manchester 13-11 in the third to lead 56-28, and then in the fourth the Lions won the quarter in convincing fashion at 21-9 for the 40-point victory.
The 13-point third frame opened with five straight points by James Bentley, including sinking a 3-pointer from the corner, plus later making two free throws for a 31-point FHS lead at 48-17.
Manchester scored the next seven points, including three free throws in one trip to the line by Declan Huron with 5:02 left in the third. James Bentley answered with a layup off an inbound pass from Simmons. With 3:30 left in the third, Willey made a layup, and Simmons scored two points off a fast break layup. FHS scored the final points of the third with a basket by Jon Bentley, as he ended the game with five points, three rebounds, one assist and five steals.
In the 21-point fourth quarter by the Lions, Watson scored four points, and Brayden Zimmerman sank two free throws on two attempts with 1:58 on the clock. There was a 3-pointer from Jon Bentley, plus two points each by Willey and Simmons. FHS also had two points off a basket by Koben Zink with around a minute left in the game, and Zane Taylor sank a bucket with 17 seconds on the clock.
Next for the Lions is an away game on Tuesday, Feb. 4 against state-ranked Blanchester in a non-conference game at BHS.
Fairfield didn’t have Tytis Cannon and Connor Priest on Friday as they missed the game with illness, but in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference game at Fairfield, the rest of the team took control and gained the 40-point win with nine players reaching the scoring column.
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“We came into the game knowing we wanted to run the ball, push the ball and to get into a rhythm, and I thought the boys did a nice job,” FHS head coach Josh Howland said. “We have some illness going on with Tytis and Connor being sick with fevers, and the boys we had stepped up and played well.
“Our seniors played hard, and Manchester is young, and they are battling some illness too.”
The Lions (5-5, 11-6) were in control from around the 5:38 mark of the first frame until the game ended with the Lions going from being tied at 6:05 left in the first frame at 7-7, to starting to build their lead and go ahead by 10 points after eight minutes ticked off the clock for a 25-15 advantage.
After Tucker Watson tied the game at 7-7 with a basket for the Lions, that was the start of 12 straight points for Fairfield, with Wyatt Willey following by connecting with a three-point play and Reese Teeters scoring two points off a basket. Next came five straight points by Bryson Simmons, including a three-point play of his own for a 17-7 lead, forcing Manchester to call a timeout with 4:34 left in the first frame.
Following a free-throw conversion by the Greyhounds, the Lions had two points from Watson, and later Simmons scored two points to make the score 21-11. Watson later added two more points in the first (giving him six points in the frame), while Willey scored two more points as well for a 25-13 lead. Manchester added two final points in the first to make it a 10-point differential on the scoreboard.
Simmons scored 10 points in the aforementioned first quarter and finished the game with 21 points to lead the Lions. He also collected four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Willey totaled 18 points in the SHAC win for the Lions, while the senior point guard added three rebounds, three assists and one steal. Watson finished the game with 10 points, three rebounds and a steal.
The Lions led 43-17 when the second quarter came to a close, outscoring the Greyhounds, 18-2 in the frame. Fairfield scored 16 straight points in the second, starting with a jumper by Teeters and two points from Simmons, followed with a full-court pass from Willey for the assist. Teeters finished the game with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and five steals.
Next were two points by Willey for a 31-15 lead by the Lions with 4:50 left in the first half. Wiley ended up scoring five straight points with another basket and a free-throw conversion.
Simmons followed with a three-point play, then Willey was back with two straight baskets, with the second one being assisted by James Bentley for a 26-point lead at 41-15 with 1:40 left in the second frame. Manchester finally scored in the quarter with a basket by Isaiah Scott, who led Manchester with 19 points in the game.
The Lions wrapped up the first quarter with two free throws by Simmons with 1:04 on the clock for the halftime score of 43-17.
James Bentley finished the game with nine points, 12 rebounds, three assists and a steal.
In the second half, the Lions outscored Manchester 13-11 in the third to lead 56-28, and then in the fourth the Lions won the quarter in convincing fashion at 21-9 for the 40-point victory.
The 13-point third frame opened with five straight points by James Bentley, including sinking a 3-pointer from the corner, plus later making two free throws for a 31-point FHS lead at 48-17.
Manchester scored the next seven points, including three free throws in one trip to the line by Declan Huron with 5:02 left in the third. James Bentley answered with a layup off an inbound pass from Simmons. With 3:30 left in the third, Willey made a layup, and Simmons scored two points off a fast break layup. FHS scored the final points of the third with a basket by Jon Bentley, as he ended the game with five points, three rebounds, one assist and five steals.
In the 21-point fourth quarter by the Lions, Watson scored four points, and Brayden Zimmerman sank two free throws on two attempts with 1:58 on the clock. There was a 3-pointer from Jon Bentley, plus two points each by Willey and Simmons. FHS also had two points off a basket by Koben Zink with around a minute left in the game, and Zane Taylor sank a bucket with 17 seconds on the clock.
Next for the Lions is an away game on Tuesday, Feb. 4 against state-ranked Blanchester in a non-conference game at BHS.