Fairview's Cameron Guthrie (22) / Nick Griffin
HAYDEN – The Fairview Aggies knocked off the top-seeded Hayden Wildcats 82-79 in a shootout Friday night to take home the 5A, Area 12 title.
The Aggies got off to a slow start early in the first quarter but got hot in the second quarter to take a 43-28 lead into the half. The Aggies’ Bryson Fletcher scored 17 of his team-high 22 points in the first half to help build the lead.
The third quarter belonged to the Wildcats, as the Hayden offense found its rhythm and put up 28 points in the quarter. The Wildcats even managed to retake the lead for a brief moment late in the quarter after a 3-pointer from Duncan McReath put Hayden up 56-54. The Aggies were able to score on the next possession and took a 57-56 lead into the final period.
The fourth quarter saw both teams trade buckets back and forth, but Fairview never gave the lead back to the Wildcats. Cameron Guthrie did a lot to help the Aggies in the fourth, knocking down two shots from three-point range and hitting 4-of-4 free throws inside of two minutes to help secure the win. Guthrie finished second on the team with 19 points and also came up with seven rebounds. Guthrie was also the most efficient three-point shooter on the night, hitting four deep balls throughout the game.
The Aggies knocked down 11 shots from the three-point line, and those points, along with eight free throws in the final two minutes, allowed Fairview to pull away from Hayden late in the final quarter.
Hayden got down big early but refused to go away. The Aggies had to hold off a couple of stellar performances from the Wildcats, as forward Logan Campbell pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds and scored 22 for the game’s only double-double finish and Wildcats’ guard Sheridan Miller led all scorers with an impressive 28 points. Miller and Campbell were invaluable for Hayden as they tried to come back late in the contest.
After Campbell hit his only three of the night, the clock hit zero and the Fairview Aggies claimed the 5A Area 12 title.
The Aggies’ post-season run will continue Tuesday night when they host the the loser of Saturday’s matchup between Mae Jemison and Lee-Huntsville.
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