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Big second half powers Fayette past Westran on Senior Night

Justin Addison, Editor/Publisher
Posted 2/2/23

The Fayette Lady Falcons earned a Lewis & Clark Conference victory over Westran on Tuesday, 57-33, for senior night.

The win improves Fayette’s record to 10-11 overall with four games …

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Big second half powers Fayette past Westran on Senior Night

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The Fayette Lady Falcons earned a Lewis & Clark Conference victory over Westran on Tuesday, 57-33, for senior night.

The win improves Fayette’s record to 10-11 overall with four games left in the regular season. Coach Daryl Betts and his team are in the hunt for their first winning record since the 2011-2012 season, when Fayette finished 14-12 overall.

With Tuesday’s game being the last home bout of the season for Fayette, Betts asked his seniors before the game how they wanted to be remembered.

The response was clear as the team’s two seniors combined for 29 of Fayette’s 57 points. 

“It was a great win, and our seniors lit it up,” Betts said. “That’s what you want out of your seniors.”

Preslee Sunderland scored a game-high 15 points, followed by 14 points from Hannah Quint.

“Preslee Sunderland and Hannah Quint really stepped up,” Betts said after the game.

Sunderland had made three 3-point shots, two of which came in the first. Ten of her points in the first half helped Fayette to a two-point lead at the break. Quint also shot well from the arc, bookending her scoring with two 3-point shots.

As a team, the Lady Falcons sank eight 3-point shots. Junior Addison Powell, sophomore Lasaydra Jackman, and freshman Browyn Eubanks each connected from behind the arc.

“We just stepped up and started hitting shots,” Betts said.

Fayette pulled ahead early to lead 12-5 after eight minutes but lost the second quarter 16-11, leading 23-21 at halftime. 

“In the second quarter, they had the momentum. They won that fairly easily on us,” Betts said. “They were pressing us with their 2-2-1, and we just weren’t getting to the spots we had talked about.”

The Lady Falcons stepped up their pressure with their diamond press in the third quarter, creating steals that led to layups. Fayette’s stingy defense caused frustration for the Lady Hornets, who struggled from the line.

Fayette outscored Westran 12-6 over the first half of the third quarter. The Lady Hornets had a chance to stay in the game but made just one of eight free-throw chances while trailing by eight points.

Fayette closed out the quarter with five points in the final 15 seconds to take a double-digit lead into the last period. Jackman sank a baseline 3-pointer, then Eubanks turned a steal into a layup before the buzzer sounded to put Fayette ahead 40-27.

All of Westran’s six points in the third quarter came in the first three and a half minutes. The Lady Hornets missed all six free-throw attempts in the final three minutes.

The Falcons kept their foot on the gas in the fourth quarter, opening with a 13-0 run over four and a half minutes to give themselves some breathing room. For a team that is used to playing from behind, the fourth-quarter lead felt like a luxury. 

“We did it in a fashion that was not so stressful,” Betts said. “We ran the clock and still scored 17 points. That’s being efficient. I thought we did a good job of cutting the game down.”

Eubanks finished with nine points with a 3-pointer, followed by Jackman with five points off the bench. Sophomore Skylar Sunderland finished with four points. Juniors Kay Sullivan and Addison Powell each posted three points. Junior Allie Spielbauer and sophomore Melissa Innes each finished with two points. 

“I felt like in the second half, we were constantly competing and constantly working hard. So many kids played in the rotation and worked their tails off to get the result we wanted,” Betts said.

On Monday, Fayette kicks off a four-game road trip at L&C opponent, Paris, to close out the regular season. On Tuesday, the Lady Falcons head to New Bloomfield. Both of those teams are well below .500. 

Fayette closes out the regular season against conference rival Marceline on February 10 before traveling to Jamestown on February 13. The Class 2 District 7 Tournament begins on February 21 at New Franklin.

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