The seventh-seeded Fayette boys faced off against Sturgeon, the fourth seed, on Saturday with third place in the New Franklin Tournament on the line. Despite a strong defensive effort, the Falcons fell behind late, losing 44-34.

The Falcons came out hot. Playing with energy, they forced several Sturgeon turnovers with their pressure defense, jumping out to an early 7-2 lead. Sturgeon called a timeout to right the ship and quickly went on an 8-0 run of their own.  

The momentum switch forced Fayette Head Coach Brandon Friebe to use a timeout with 2:37 left in the quarter and a three-point deficit. The Falcons responded, holding Sturgeon scoreless for the remainder of the quarter. Freshman Blake Braden tied the game with a 3-pointer, and Fayette added two more to take a 12-10 lead.

“Our effort to start the game, and really for three quarters, was great. Defensively, we continue to do a great job, and it’s giving us a lot of opportunities,” Coach Friebe said.

The second quarter saw a defensive battle, as neither team scored in double figures. The game was tied at halftime, 18-18.

Senior guard Micah Estes hit a three for the Falcons midway through the third quarter, giving Fayette a 25-24 lead, but Sturgeon outscored the Falcons 7-0 to enter the fourth quarter ahead 31-26.  

Sturgeon slowly extended its lead in the final quarter, earning the hard-fought 44-34 win.

“We have a lot to fix, and we’re frustrated,” Coach Friebe said. “It’s hard to win games with the number of turnovers we’re having, and we aren’t shooting well right now. We need to remember we have a lot of younger kids playing some major minutes. We’re getting better.”

Seniors Estes and Kaleb Friebe led the way for the Falcons, scoring eight points each. 

Josh Kelly led all scorers with 20 of Sturgeon’s 44 total points. Alex Ducayne added 12 points.

Fayette received a first-round bye, essentially, when second-seeded Prairie Home backed out of the tournament after school was canceled for winter weather. The forfeit granted Fayette its first “win” of the season and advanced the Falcons into the gauntlet of the championship side of the bracket.

The Falcons host Pilot Grove on Monday before playing at Slater on Wednesday. Fayette then plays Belle at Harrisburg on Friday as part of the Mid-Missouri Invitational by Ramey Basketball.