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WAVERLY — If you asked either of Fairland’s seniors what it’s like to not win a district title, they wouldn’t know how to answer.
The Dragons have been on a run unlike any other in the last four years, winning three OVC titles and three district titles alongside two trips to Dayton via regional championships — a resume that many schools would do anything for.
Facing North Adams in a Division V district final on Saturday, Fairland looked to add another district crown to its trophy case.
CREDIT: Erica Fike/SOSA
The Dragons (19-5) stayed pedal to the metal from start to finish, eliminating North Adams with a 77-44 victory to get back into the Sweet 16.
“North Adams is an unbelievably physical team, and they’re led by seniors and a veteran coach. They’re never just going to lay down, and we knew that coming in,” Fairland coach Jon Buchanan said. “We knew what we were getting ourselves into. I think that can make the game a little sloppy, but I thought our kids did a good job responding. I thought we used our depth in the second half to get after them and speed them up. It was an incredible effort by our kids. They went hard the whole time, and I’m so proud of them and impressed with that.”
Fairland got off to a fast start as five early points from Bailey Russell got the Dragons out to an 11-4 run. North Adams tried to apply pressure to slow things down, but the Dragons still managed to stay in front and brought an 18-12 lead into the second.
“When it’s in games like these, our coach always says it’s a track meet for us. It’s who gets tired first,” Fairland’s Kamryn Barnitz said. “We have to keep our motor. If you miss, you just have to forget about it and keep playing, because if you don’t, then it stacks on top of you.”
Although the Dragons found themselves out in front, they knew they could do much better and flipped a switch to start the second.
Following an opening bucket from North Adams, Fairland went on another 7-0 run, thanks to inside baskets from Isa Taliaferro and another triple from Russell, pushing the lead to 25-14.
“Isa is a tremendous player. We just got her back from injury and she sat the last three games of the year,” Buchanan said. “We felt like we could get the ball to Isa in the middle, and then let her make the pass to the low post or make kick-outs. She was reading things so well and she’s done that all year long. Again, she’s another kid that’s not really going to show up in the box score for us, but she’s a connector and she makes it all work for our team.”
North Adams (18-7) never got back within single digits as the Green Devils coughed up possession six times in the quarter, and 11 times in the first half, allowing Fairland to get more opportunities on offense.
When the Dragons did, they capitalized and got hot in the final minutes of the half. Russell and Barnitz each connected from outside, extending Fairland’s lead to 40-23 going into the break.
“What I’ve experienced as the coach of a team that’s won multiple district titles is that you’re going to win on the defensive end in the tournament,” Buchanan said. “If you bring your defense every time, then you’ve got a chance. We didn’t shoot the ball great at either game we played [at Waverly] this week, but we played exceptional defense. I thought we rebounded unbelievably today, and our kids played extremely hard.”
“I thought our defense was very good. Our goal is to kind of push them out of the paint, and I thought we did a good job of that,” Russell added. “But also, they were playing a very good zone, and we kept getting the ball in the middle and kicking it out and got off good shots.”
Fairland used a quick start to jump out in front in the first half. Repeating that same method in the second half was just as important.
The Dragons wasted no time expanding the lead as Taegan Leep scored after an offensive rebound. Fairland stayed active on the offensive glass as Russell grabbed a board on the next possession before quickly finding Leep again for a bucket.
Addison Godby, Barnitz and Addyson Cornell also chipped in during the third as Fairland pushed the lead to a 54-36 tally heading into the fourth, all but locking up another district championship.
Fairland seniors — Barnitz and Siera Pemberton — will both graduate with four district championships to their names.
“Kamryn Barnitz and Siera Pemberton are the only two players in Fairland history, in any sport, to win four district titles, which is obviously a huge accomplishment,” Buchanan said. “Kamryn is just a leader on and off the floor, and she’s a great teammate. She battles so hard, and it doesn’t really always show in the box score, but she’s such a hard-nosed kid. We only lose a couple kids after this year, but we really lose a lot off of our team.”
The Dragons were led in scoring by Russell, who finished with 17 points while grabbing nine boards and dishing out five assists. Cornell followed with 16 points and seven rebounds of her own. Barnitz finished with 11 points, Godby put up eight points, and Ava Layne and Isa Taliaferro each contributed six points.
North Adams was paced by Emma Pistole, who finished with 10 points and four rebounds, while Katelynn Boerger contributed eight points.
The Dragons now advance to a Division V regional semifinal in the Southwest regional at Lakota East High School. There, they will match up with Waynesville, a 78-41 winner over Reading, on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m.
“We’re fortunate enough to where we have experience being in these types of games, and obviously, every round gets a little tougher,” Buchanan said. “We had the same experience last year that we’ll have this year, with it being a long bus ride for us and a very short bus ride for the other team. The fact of the matter is, the only people that are going to win or lose that game are the five people on the floor and the five from the other team. We’re going to attack it just like we always do, get back in the gym tomorrow, watch film and get ready to go.”
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