John Bruce, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
PIKETON — There’s a reason Western was one win away from appearing in a Division IV state semifinal last season.
CREDIT: Heather Thompson/SOSA
However, there’s also a reason Fairfield is undefeated this year, and Monday was a prime example.
In a game jam-packed full of momentum swings, an opportunistic defensive play from Fairfield’s Larkin Friend saved its unbeaten season to help the Lions (24-0) earn a 56-53 win over the Indians in a Division IV district semifinal.
This marks the fourth straight trip to a district final for Fairfield. But the Indians made them work for every single dribble of the contest.
Western (14-10) started the game with a bevy of energy from sophomore guards Drew Haggy and Kam Janes, pushing out an early 8-1 lead. It continued to force the Lions to play from behind throughout the first quarter as the Indians held a 13-11 heading to the second.
The Indians also focused on cutting off the 3 ball from Fairfield’s TJ Mootz , only allowing him one successful attempt late in the opening quarter.
“I’ve faced it a few times this season,” Mootz said. “I just take what they give me. I’ve worked on my game enough where I can just take what they give me. I try to play off my jump shot but if they’re taking it away, that means they’re giving me lanes and shots in the paint.”
Heading into the second frame, Fairfield got a massive boost from junior Trey House. He closed the regular season in double-digit scoring figures in his last five appearances before an injury forced him to miss time.
Yet, he didn’t show any signs of his that ailment lingering, torching the nets for 15 points on the evening with the majority coming before halftime.
“He’s a difference-maker,” Mootz said of House. “We’ve had several games that he’s won for us coming off the bench. He’s our spark plug and our energy guy. He’s coming off an injury and people were doubting him. But he came back and he was huge tonight.”
PHOTOS: Images from Fairfield’s district semifinal win over Western
With House on fire, Wyatt Collins added some offensive punch for the Lions, helping them dominate the second quarter en route to a 31-21 halftime advantage.
Coming out of the break, the Lions shot a red-hot 7-of-9 from the field in the third, expanding their lead into to double digits. However, they couldn’t extend the momentum and committed six turnovers forced by the Indians’ swarming defense.
Chase Carter came alive for the Indians in the third, scoring in the post and connecting from downtown to help Western make it a 46-39 game through 24 minutes of action.
The Indians continued to chip away at the lead, scoring at a high rate while holding the Lions to only one shot on their offensive end. A driving layup from Janes cut the lead to 46-43 with 5:56 to play.
Western later completed the comeback as Carter buried a corner 3 to tie the game at 48-48.
The race to the finish line was officially on.
A drive from Mootz temporarily gave the Lions the lead back, but a steal and layup from Haggy tied it back up at 50-50. Collins connected on an 18-foot jumper, before Janes tied the game once again with a pair of free throws for a 52-52 deadlock.
Fairfield appeared to be holding the ball for a final shot, but Friend saw an opening and scored on a drive to give the Lions their final lead of the night. The Indians split a pair of free throws on the other end with 24.7 seconds to play, leading to the crazy final moments.
Coming out of a timeout, Western doubled Friend in the backcourt, leading to a turnover. Instead of putting his head down following the miscue, the junior point guard returned serve and stripped the Indians as they appeared to have an open layup. Gabe Fouch was fouled and calmly sank both shots for a 56-53 game.
“I came into the game knowing they were going to pressure me,” Friend said. “They have a lot of quick guards. I heard them saying to sit on my right hand because I wasn’t a very good ball-handler. In the beginning, I was a little flustered. Trying to get the ball up the court took a long time. But as the game went on, I started to get used to it. I was able to handle the pressure better in the second half.”
The Indians were able to get a tough look from deep in the waning seconds, but it bounced off the rim and preserved a Lions win.
After House’s 15 points, Mootz added 13 of his own while Collins had 11. Friend added nine points and team-highs of six rebounds and four assists.
Western was led in scoring by Haggy with 19 points alongside a team-high five rebounds. Carter added 17 points and Janes tallied 12 to the mix.
Fairfield returns to action at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday at Ohio University’s Convocation Center. There, the Lions will take on Green — a 52-40 winner over Paint Valley — in a Division IV district championship.
“We just need to calm down,” Friend said. “We need to communicate better on defense and that’s some of my fault. But as long as we calm down, get the spacing right on defense and communicate, we’ll have a good game.”
BOX SCORE
Western: 13-8-18-14 — 53
Fairfield: 11-20-15-10 — 56
Western: 18-40 FG, 11-15 FT, 6-16 3pt., 14 rebounds (Haggy 5), 16 turnovers, 7 assists (Rodriguez 3). Scoring: Haggy 19, Carter 17, Janes 12, Lightle 5.
Fairfield: 22-34 FG, 8-13 FT, 3-8 3pt., 21 rebounds (Friend 6), 19 turnovers, 10 assists (Friend 4). Scoring: House 15, Mootz 13, Collins 11, Friend 9, Fouch 5, Bennington 3.
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