Lions crash Mustangs' homecoming

     DODSONVILE – On a night where a king and queen was crowned, the Fairfield Lions played the role of spoiler, as they crashed the homecoming festivities of the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs, defeating the host team 57-42 Friday night for the Southern Hills League win.

     After a slow start to the first quarter where Fairfield’s Chris Cox scored all eight points put on the scoreboard by the Lions, the game picked up pace in the second quarter where the half ended with the Lions leading 26-18.

     With the Lions leading 8-5 after the first, Ian Adams put FHS ahead 10-5, followed with Cox adding to the Lions’ advantage with two free throws for a seven-point lead. Cox finished with a game-high 21 points, scoring 15 in the first half.

     Cox continued to add to the Lions’ advantage when he made a 3-pointer to double the points scored by L-C at 16-8. At the 4:12 mark, Fairfield’s Cody Tolle sank a 3-pointer, but Lynchburg-Clay’s Jorden DeHaas was there to bring the Mustangs within six points of tying the game with an inside basket.

     The Lions answered with free throws from Cox and Brandon Carmean. Dallas Puckett came back with a 3-pointer for the Mustangs to make the score 23-16. The seven-point deficit soon turned into 10 points when Nick Sowders drained a 3-ball for the Lions with 1:06 left in the first half.

     Alex Henson put the Lions ahead by 10 points to open the third quarter with a jump shot, and his points were followed with seven more points combined from Cox and Adams. Adams’ points came from a 3-pointer to put FHS ahead 35-18 with 4:41 left in the third.

     DeHaas stopped the 9-0 third quarter run with inside points. Aaron Skaggs converted a three-point play for the Mustangs, but it was equaled with a trey from Tolle with 3:37 left in the third. The Mustangs scored the final four points of the third with buckets from Puckett and Austin Fawley.

     FHS led 42-31 to start the final frame and after the Mustangs started the scoring in the fourth, Tolle was there to answer with his third 3-pointer of the game for the 45-33 advantage. Cameron Rolark added four points with two inside baskets, followed with a layup from Henson to extend the Lions’ lead to 51-33.

     Lynchburg-Clay’s Tyler Davidson sank a 3-pointer with 2:35 left in the contest. Davidson and Skaggs scored the final four points of the game.

     The win lifts the Lions to 7-5 overall, 5-2 in the SHL.

     In homecoming festivities, Brandon McCarthy was crowned king and Alex Baker was crowned queen.

     The Lions will host their homecoming game on Friday, Jan. 29 as they host the Manchester Greyhounds.

BOX SCORE

SCORE BY QUARTERS

FHS – 8 18 16 15 – 57

LCHS – 5 13 13 11 – 42

INDIVIDUAL STATS

FHS (57)

Sowders 0 (1) 3, Adams 1 (1) 4-4 9, Rolark 3 6, Ferrell 1 2, Henson 2 1-5 5, Cox 5 (1) 8-12 21, Tolle 0 (3) 9, Carmean 0 2-2 2. TOTALS: 12 (6) 15-23 57.

LCHS (42)