Brock Netter, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
LEESBURG — This has been anything but a typical regular season for Fairfield’s girls.
CREDIT: Cory Hall/SOSA
The group has dealt with a coaching change after their very first game of the year, has had injuries across the board throughout the entire schedule and currently has six healthy varsity players.
It has every excuse to not be winning games.
However, this team is built on resilience and it simply handles its business.
Led by double-figure outputs from Peyton Magee, Faith Donley and Hannah Hamilton, the Lions (10-2, 8-1 SHAC) used a 23-6 spurt between the second and third quarters to earn a 62-46 victory over Peebles in league action on Monday.
“We had two main points, which was defense and unselfishness on offense. These girls have really bought in and I think they just wanted it more,” Fairfield coach Josh Stackhouse said. “My philosophy has always been defense first, and that starts with talking. That’s something most players don’t do. It’s kind of like rebounding. It’s something they know they have to do, but it’s not always in their instincts. But they’ve gotten so much better with it throughout the season.”
Consistent movement, back door cuts and the ability to hit shots from all over the floor were the staple of Donley’s performance.
With a never-ending motor, the junior continued to run the court, losing defenders in the process, as she poured on 21 points to lead her teammates.
Hamilton’s night featured some spot-up shooting, getting in the passing lanes defensively and even a little razzle-dazzle in her passing game as she finished with 16 points, five assists and four rebounds.
“She has so many qualities that can put her anywhere on the floor. She passes the ball very well, defends down low in the lane and steps outside to hit shots,” Stackhouse said when asked about Hamilton. “Games like this help build confidence as she keeps working on her game. Her mindset adjusts to whatever she has to do, whether it’s up top on the perimeter or underneath in the post. But she can do anything and play anywhere on the floor since she’s a mismatch.”
As for Magee, she was … well … Magee.
She scored, shot with confidence, played stout defense, rebounded aggressively and ran the show, ending her night with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists.
She started with an assist to Donley for a triple to match a 3 on the other end from Peebles’ Abigail Smalley as both teams were burning rubber out of the gates.
Magee and Donley combined to score 13 points in the first quarter, matching the output of Peebles’ Payton Johnson and Caydence Carroll. But Hamilton’s four points helped the Lions hold a 17-16 lead heading to the second.
Defense took center stage in the second as the Lions threw different looks and multiple defenders at Johnson, trying to prevent the touted junior from getting hot.
In the meantime, Fairfield’s offense wasn’t producing much of anything either, but still maintained a 21-20 edge. Then Hamilton hit a shot, Donley converted a bucket plus two free throws and, alongside a shot from Magee, the Lions ended the half on a 8-2 run to control a 29-22 lead.
That little bit of momentum was all they needed to bust the game open. They began to crash the boards with purpose, ran their offensive sets with precision and turned up the heat.
The trio of Hamilton, Magee and Donley helped start the Lions on an 8-2 run, extending the lead to 37-24 midway through the third. That lead never dwindled under 12 points throughout the remainder of the night.
“That third quarter offensively is the level of unselfishness we play with every night. These girls share the ball, find the open player and let it fly from wherever,” Stackhouse said. “From when I took over and had two days to prepare for Eastern Brown, that was the type of basketball I wanted to see. Being patient, letting things develop and not settling for a shot after three or four passes. This group does a great job of taking what a defense gives them.”
For Peebles (7-7, 4-5 SHAC), Johnson finished with 18 points and five rebounds while Carroll added 12 points and eight boards.
Fairfield returns to action on Thursday for a first place SHAC showdown at North Adams while Peebles rebounds at home on Wednesday against Adena.
“That second half is what we’ll need for 32 full minutes to beat North Adams,” Stackhouse said. “They’re such a talented group with a lot of good players who can hurt you in different ways. It all comes down to being ready mentally to play defense to guard whether it’s an uptempo type of game or one that has a slower pace.”
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