WEST POINT, Ala. — The Fairview Aggies traveled to West Point to take on the Warriors in a pair of varsity games. The Lady Aggies held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and had to hold off a furious comeback from the Lady Warriors to win their game 65-60. The varsity boys’ game was the same way as the Aggies had to withstand a late rally from the Warriors to finish off their sweep of West Point with a 79-74 win.
Fairview 65 – West Point 60 (Varsity Girls)
Darby Nichols got a shot to go for Fairview to get them on the scoreboard first. A pair of Jayla Gorham free throws made it 4-0, but Jaelyn Faulkner knocked down a shot to make it 4-2. A pair of free throws each by Gorham and Ava Thomas pushed the Lady Aggies to 8-3; later on, Thomas converted on her and-one opportunity to make it 11-5. A Laklin Shadix made shot cut it to 13-7, but Alexis Golden and Jaycee Aleman each hit a layup to make it 17-7. Another Nichols made basket made it 21-7, but Laklin Shadix hit a shot down low to make it 21-9. Gorham and Golden each hit a pair of free throws to push the Lady Aggie lead to 25-9, but Carsyn Blakenship hit a trey to end the first quarter and Fairview took a 25-12 lead into the second period.
A Camryn Faulkner basket made it 26-14 early in the second quarter, but Allison Davis scored six straight points to push the Fairview lead to 32-17, but Laklin Shadix hit a trey to cut it to 32-21. Another made basket by Nichols made it 36-22, but the Lady Warriors slowly started to chip into the Fairview lead. Caitlee Simmons nailed a long-range shot to make it a 36-25 game. A free throw each by Laklin and Liberty Shadix and Bethany Minck, plus a basket by Liberty Shadix, made it a 39-30 game at the half.
A pair of Thomas free throws, plus a basket each by Gorham and Somer Harris, increased the Lady Aggie lead to 45-31 early in the third period. Liberty Shadix then got red-hot as she scored the next seven points, including the old-fashioned and-one, as West Point’s deficit was now cut to just seven at 45-38 with 4:34 remaining in the third period. A driving layup by Aleman and a pair of Gorham free throws pushed the Fairview lead up to 11 at 49-38. Two more Gorham free throws made it 51-41, but Simmons hit a trey as the Lady Warriors were now down 51-44. A huge and-one by Gorham, plus a pair of Thomas free throws, saw Fairview take a 56-44 lead into what would be an exciting final period.
Golden knocked down a pair of free throws and Harris nailed a three as Fairview pushed their lead to 61-45 early in the final period, but West Point responded in a big way as they embarked on a furious rally to get back in the game. Baskets by Liberty Shadix and Minck saw the Lady Warrior deficit get cut to 63-52. Another Liberty Shadix layup made it 63-56, and the Shadix twins each hit another basket down low to make it a 63-60 game with less than 20 seconds left to go in the game. Nichols hit a pair of huge free throws to help the Lady Aggies hold off the Lady Warriors in the end, 65-60.
Gorham led the way for Fairview (5-2) with 20 points. Thomas added 13 points. Nichols ended up with 11 points, while Golden and Davis each added six points. For West Point (3-4), Liberty Shadix finished the game with 21 points. Laklin Shadix added 17 points and Simmons ended up with seven points.
Fairview 79 – West Point 74 (Varsity Boys)
A three each by Kobe Payne and Bryson Fletcher helped Fairview jump out to a quick 6-0 lead. Jay Lamar hit a pair of free throws to put West Point on the scoreboard and then, Kanaan Sutter hit a layup to make it 7-4. Cade Yeager scored five straight points and Colt Fletcher added a basket of his own to push the Aggie lead to 14-5. Aiden Dujoud and Ashton Rodgers each hit a shot down low to make it a 16-8 game, but an and-one by Payne, plus a Yeager layup, saw Fairview’s lead grow to 21-8 going into the second quarter.
Rodgers and Maddox Chapman each hit a basket down low and Lamar added a pair of free throws to make it a 24-14 game. Later on, a Lamar trey made it 26-17, but Fairview responded with a big run of their own as Cylas Yarbrough scored seven of the next nine points, Will Bailey hit a shot down low, and Payne knocked down a three as the Aggie lead was now 38-17 with two minutes left to go in the first half. Lamar scored the next six Warrior points to cut it to 40-23, but Yeager and Colt Fletcher each knocked down a shot as the Aggies took a commanding 44-23 lead into the half.
West Point started the third quarter out strong as Jacob Harbison got things started with a layup, then later on, five points from Lamar, a Dujoud made basket, and a Chapman basket, cut it to 46-34 with a little over four minutes to go in the third period. The Aggies had an answer for that West Point run as Yeager and Payne each drilled a long-range shot to make it 52-34. Payne hit three free throws to make it 57-38, but Chapman and Lamar each hit a basket and Harbison hit a pair from the line as the score was now 57-44 going into what would be a wild and crazy final period.
Harbison knocked down a three to make it a 57-47 game, but Payne made a really tough shot and Ethan Fraiser converted on his and-one opportunity as Fairview’s lead was now 62-47. This is where things get very interesting as a pair of Fairview players got technical fouls and Lamar hit a pair from the line. He would then knock down a three and later on, he drilled another three and ended up getting fouled on the play. He finished off the four-point play in style as the Warrior deficit was now at just six points at 62-56 with 5:42 to play in the game.
Payne would knock down a three to make it 67-58, but a Rodgers made basket cut it to 67-60. Later on, another technical foul was called on Fairview, and Lamar hit a pair from the line to make it a 67-63 game. Payne drilled another trey to make it 70-63 with a little over three minutes remaining in the contest and later on, Yarbrough added a pair of layups to push the Fairview lead to 74-65. With less than two minutes to go in the game, J.D. Cochran hit a basket down low, and Rodgers put in a tough shot to make it a 74-70 game. After a pair of Yarbrough free throws made it 76-70, Rodgers hit a driving layup and then, the Warriors forced a Fairview turnover and Rodgers hit another layup to cut it to just a two-point game with less than 20 seconds to go in the game. The Aggies ended up holding onto the lead as Colt Fletcher hit a pair of huge free throws and Yarbrough hit one of his own as Fairview ended up winning the game, 79-74.
Payne finished the game with 24 points for Fairview (3-2). Yarbrough added 20 points. Yeager ended up with 12 points, while Bryson and Colt Fletcher each added six points. For West Point (3-5), Lamar had another big night as he finished with 37 points. Rodgers added 14 points and Harbison ended up with nine points.
Fairview will head back home to take on Cold Springs Friday night while West Point travels to take on Danville.
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