FAIRFIELD LADY EAGLES varsity cager Barvion Wyatt fights past Marlin defenders on her way to the basket. Coach Stephen Heers says the Marlin game was the best the Lady Eagles have played this season. Fairfield high school Lady Eagles cagers won four of five games last week to wrap up action prior to Christmas.

Next week, the Lady Eagles varsity quintet will play in the Whataburger Tournament at Fort Worth.

All three teams faced off early last week against the Marlin Lady Bulldogs and met the Mexia Ladycats on the road Friday.

“We played maybe our best game of the year against Marlin,” head coach Stephen Heers reports. “We won every quarter and kept the thumb down the whole time.”

Junior Courtney Morton started the Marlin contest on fire, hitting for 14 first period points to help stake the Lady Eagles to an early 22-8 lead.

Fairfield won the second period 16-12, with 10 of those points provided by senior Kiresten Cox, to take a 38-20 lead into intermission.

SENIOR GUARD Joye McElroy eyes the goal in action against the Marlin Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Eagles tallied 10 points in the third period and 16 in the final stanza, giving up seven in each, to win by a 64-34 margin.

“We played good pressure defense for four quarters,” Heers says.

Miss Morton led scoring with 25 points and was joined in double digits by Miss Cox, 19 points.

Also scoring were: Barvion Wyatt, 9; Joye McElroy, 6; Olivia Gallegos, 4; and Jasmine Griffin, 1.

The FHS quintet shot 50 percent from the free throw line, making eight of 16 attempts. Miss Morton was good on five of six charity tosses.

Against the Ladycats, the Lady Eagles had to overcome a 20-21 deficit en route to a 57-35 victory.

“We couldn’t make any shots against Mexia,” Heers says. “We overcame a bad shooting first half and played well the second half.”

In the first half, the Lady Eagles missed 14 free throws, but went 12-for-16 from the line in the second half.

Fairfield led the first period 14-11, then were outscored 6-10 in the second period to fall behind at the half.

“We were getting hammered pretty hard by Mexia and we stayed in foul trouble,” Heers reports.

The Lady Eagles won the third period 18-9 to retake the lead at 38-30 and added 19 points in the fourth period to secure the victory.

Foul trouble cost the team three players, Jermaca Brown, Mia Mayo and Miss Wyatt, who exited the contest.

With point guards Mayo and Brown in foul trouble, and point guard Sarah Linton sidelined with an injury, the chore of directing the team fell on the shoulders of sophomore Kathleen Chappell and Miss McElroy who answered the call and led scoring with 18 points.

“Joye played really well and led us in scoring,” Heers says.

Joining Miss McElroy in double digits were Miss Wyatt, 12 points, and Miss Morton, 11 points.

Also scoring were: Cox, 9; Brown, 4; and Kathleen Chappell, 3.

The Lady Eagles shot 49 percent from the free throw line, making 17 of 35 attempts, but were 75 percent in the second half.

Fairfield varsity cagers are posting a 12-5 record this season.

In junior varsity action, the Lady Eagles took a 14-2 first period lead over Marlin and matched the Lady Bulldogs with six points the second period for a 20-8 advantage at half-time.

Fairfield tallied 10 points in the third period and 14 in the fourth, giving up six and five, to win handily 44-19.

Reaching double digits with 10 points was Keanna Cox.

Also scoring were: Jayda Griffin, 8; Fruncheska Daniels, 8; Krystal Rischer, 6; Gabby Ransom, 4; Amy Lansford, 4; Denise Washington, 2; and Gabby Jackson, 2.

The jv played a close 10- 6 first period against the Ladycats, but broke out for 17 second period points to lead 17-8 at the half.

The Lady Eagles scored 16 points the third period and added three in the fourth, while holding Mexia to a total of three in the second half and claiming a 46-11 win.

Hitting for a dozen points was Miss Rischer.

Also scoring were: Daniels, 8; Ransom, 7; Cox, 6; Sadie Schaefer, 6; Washington, 2; Emelia Adu, 2; Jackson, 2; and Christy Harper, 1.

Fairfield jv cagers shot 62 percent from the free throw line, making eight of 13 attempts.

The only loss last week came in the freshmen game against Mexia, 19-48.

In double digits with 11 points was Amy Lansford.

Also scoring were: Hanna Dodds, 4; Danielle Ransom, 2; and Mikeshia Hudson, 2.

After the varsity squad competes in the Whataburger Tournament, all three teams head to Waco Connally on Jan. 2, the varsity and jv squads host Hearne on Jan. 4, and district starts Jan. 8 at home against Palestine.