FAIRFIELD SENIOR GUARD Andre Gilley lines up a 3-point shot against the Crockett Bulldogs. The Fairfield high school Eagles varsity basketball team split District 20-AAA decisions to find themselvs in a third place tie in loop standings with the Palestine Westwood Panthers.

Fairfield was slated to play the regular season finale early this week against Brownsboro, a team that is a game behind the Eagles and Panthers.

Crockett leads the district race with an 8-1 mark and Athens is sitting on a 6-3 record for second place.

The Eagles started last week with a home court loss to the Crockett Bulldogs, a game decided in overtime.

"The kids really battled against a very talented Crockett team," FHS head coach Joey Worley says. "Crockett started the year as the number six team in state."

Fairfield started well against the Bulldogs, taking a 22-14 lead the first period, but were out scored in the second period to trail 35-39 at intermission.

The Eagles made up the difference in the third period, retaking the lead 48- 47, then the Bulldogs turned up the heat to tie the game 48-all at the end of regulation play.

Eagle cagers matched field goals with the Bulldogs in overtime—- each team made two—-but Crockett made six free throws and Fairfield didn't even get to step up to the charity stripe. Final tally was 64-70.

"We hurt ourselves with free throws and turnovers late," Worley reports.

Eagles missed as many charity tosses as the made in the fourth period, going 4-for-8, and shot just 57 percent from the free throw line for the night.

Leading the offensive effort with 16 points was Willie Tatum. He was joined in double digits by Tevin Green, 13 points, Josh Lynch with 12 points, and Andre Gilley, 11 points.

Others scoring were: Chris Jones, 8; and LaDarius Brackens, 4.

Lynch grabbed nine freethrows to lead that department, while Green and Jones got eight and six, respectively.

Worley reports that the Crockett game was the first in a while in which the Eagles did not control the boards.

Hitting a 3-pointer each were Gilley and Jones.

Best from the free throw line was Tatum, who made seven of eight attempts.

Against celler dweller Palestine, who have not won a district game this season, the Eagles jumped out to a 14-5 lead the first period and held a 29-15 advantage at half-time.

Fairfield tallied 15 points in each of the second half periods and gave up 11 and 12 to take a 59-38 decision.

"The kids did good. They came out focused and ready to go," Worley reports. "We beat them pretty bad on the boards."

Scoring leader for the Eagles, with 20 points, was Green, while Gilley scored 17 and Tatum kicked in 11.

Others scoring were: Jones, 6; Lynch, 2; Evans, 2; and Evan Simpson, 1.

Fairfield shot just 50 percent from the free throw line, making 10 of 20 attempts.

Connecting from long range were Tatum, a pair of treys, and Gilley.

Gilley led rebounding with 18 grabs, Green had 10 and Tatum got eight.

The coach reports that Lynch missed most of the contest when he went down early in the opening period with a twisted knee.

In combined junior varsity freshmen action, the Eagles barely beat the Bulldogs in a 59-58 battle.

Reaching double digits with 18 points was Brodrick White.

Others scoring were; Dillon Burgess, 9; Josh Brown, 6; Dominique Owens, 6; Garrett Thompson, 6; Anthony Price, 5; Justin Terry, 5; and Robert Durham, 4.

The freshmen team took the court again Friday and dispatched Palestine by a 56-31 score.

In double digits with 13 points each were Brady Johnson and Price, Brown tallied 11 and Jared DeFrance scored 10.

Others scoring were: Ernest Becks, 5; Jeff Carter, 2; and Xavier Betts, 2.