Lady Tigers slip past Fairfield on senior night

GREENFIELD — The McClain Lady Tigers continued their impressive season with a 44-39 victory over county rival Fairfield Wednesday night in Greenfield.

It was senior night for three talented McClain seniors Becca Bergstrom, Leah Lovett, and Brie Cummins who have all shown great leadership to this successful season.

“These three seniors are just amazing people,” McClain head coach Shania Massie said. “I’ve gained a great relationship with them that will live for years.

“Becca (Bergstrom) didn’t even play basketball last year, but came back out this year and worked hard and did everything I asked her to do, and then there’s Leah Lovett and Brie Cummins.

“Leah is one of our captains and it’s easy to see why, she always gives one hundred and ten percent on the floor, stays positive and bring so much energy which is what you have to do.

“Brie Cummins always showed up and played hard in every game and they’ve all been great teammates and good role models to all of our younger players on this team who really look up to them.”

The game was a well-played and defensive battle by both teams as the final score would indicate.

Fairfield came into the game probably a huge underdog, but it did not look like they were intimidated at all after they won the opening quarter of play 9-8.

Addison Cannon scored four points in the opening frame for Fairfield and Paisley Pryor matched it with four points for McClain. Ashley Burgess and Cannon both hit long 3-point shots in the period.

The Lady Tigers played much better in the second period and out-scored Fairfield 10-4 and took a 19-12 lead into halftime. Pryor led all scores at the break with nine points while Cannon led the Lady Lions with seven.

Larah Henson also had a good offensive quarter for McClain scoring six points which included one basket from behind the arc. Henson would finish the game in double-figures scoring 12 points.

“I was really impressed with Larah tonight, we weren’t sure she was even going to play after rolling an ankle at Miami Trace, but thankfully she was able to play and she executed well and was a big factor in this win," Massie said.

The third period saw both teams match basket for basket early until Meri Jackson hit back-to-back shots and after a long three by Rilee Quickle, the McClain lead was down to four points 23-19. Both teams continued swapping baskets the rest of the frame and Quickle and Pryor hit long threes at the end of the period which the Lady Lions outscored McClain, 12-11 but still trailed 30-24.

Henson was huge to start the fourth quarter when she scored McClain’s first five points that included her second long ball of the game and the Lady Tigers lead grew to 35-26.

After another bucket by Pryor gave McClain a 7-2 run and their largest lead of the game 37-26.  

The scoring spurt ended after Quickle drained her third three-point shot of the game. Quickle finished the contest with four long-balls and a team-high 12 points for the Lady Lions.

McClain would build their first double-digit lead of the game moment later when Henson and Becca Bergstrom hit back-to-back threes giving the Lady Tigers a 41-29 advantage.

Once again, the never-say-die Lady Lions would go on an 8-0 run of their own and cut the deficit to just five points 42-37 with just over a minute remaining in regulation. Fairfield got another basket inside by Vivian Henninger with just under a minute to play, and suddenly it was just a three-point game 42-39.

McClain was able to hold the ball down the stretch and Fairfield had to foul at the end and McClain’s Pryor converted her teams only two free-throws of the game giving the Lady Tigers a hard-earned 44-39 non-conference victory.

Pryor finished the game as the leading scorer with 18 points.

McClain with the win improves to 17-2 overall (9-1 FAC) and celebrated a second straight FAC championship (that they achieved at Miami Trace earlier in the week) by taking another team picture and cutting down the nets.

“These girls definitely deserve this,” said Massie. “They have worked very hard all year to get to where they are, including a second straight FAC championship.

“Honestly, before the season started, I had my doubts and wasn’t sure how things were going to go after the championship season we had last year. I thought maybe we could be a five-hundred team, but these girls have overachieved and showed me differently.

“I do think the seniors from last years team were great role models for this team that all of these girls looked up to and respected, and I think they really did help make this team better basketball players. We’ve still got a couple of make-up games left and play our last regular season home game this Saturday against Fayetteville.

“Fayetteville is a very good basketball team who beat us down there in the first game of the season (last season), but I think my girls will be up for the challenge and are looking forward to playing them again. Hopefully we will have a great crowd and I think we will come out ready to play.”

“It will definitely be a good tune-up game before tournament, and I think every game we play from here on out will be tough for us but should help us prepare for the tournament.”

Individual scoring for McClain: Larah Henson 5, 0, 12, Becca Bergstrom 1, 0, 3; Paisley Pryor 7, 2, 18; Mckenzie West 1, 0, 2; Allie Burgess 2, 0, 5; Leah Lovett 1, 0, 2. Totals 17, 2, 44.

Individual scoring for Fairfield: Paisley Stahlhut 1, 0, 2; Isabelle Hale 2, 0, 5; Rilee Quickle 4, 0, 12; Vivian Henninger 3, 1, 7; Addison Cannon 3, 1, 7; Meri Jackson 3, 0, 6. Totals 16, 2, 39.

3-point goals: Henson 3, Bergstrom 1, Pryor 2, Burgess 1, Hale 1, Quickle 4.

McClain converted 2 of 2 free throws while Fairfield made just 2 of 6 foul shots.