Fairfield (4-5) has now won three straight — after opening the season 1-5 — using defensive pressure, transition offense and a deep rotation to overwhelm Kings during a decisive 26-5 second quarter.
“That was huge,” said Wyrick, who is in his seventh season at Fairfield and owns a 100-57 record with the program. “That group we had in there for the last six minutes of the second quarter definitely set the tone, created that separation, and then the rest of the team fed into that.”
Kings led 13-9 after one quarter, but Fairfield seized control by forcing turnovers and converting steals into points. The Indians outscored the Knights 48-16 over the middle two quarters, turning a four-point deficit into a 57-29 lead heading to the fourth.
“We went back to the starters to start the second half, and those guys picked up right where that lineup left off,” Wyrick said. “It was nice to see a lot of different guys step up and do some positive things for us. As injured as we are, it still shows we’ve got some depth.”
Senior guard Cam Arington was the spark off the bench, pouring in a game-high 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point range.
“It was just clicking for me,” Arington said. “I was in the right position for almost every play. I got a lot of steals — and it just flowed. It felt good.”
Arington said the win carried added meaning with Wyrick reaching the milestone.
“To be a part of that, especially on a good night like that in a blowout win, it’s amazing,” Arington said.
Fairfield shot 64.1 percent from the field and forced 19 Kings turnovers. Kaiden Jones added 13 points, while Jordan Freeman chipped in 10 off the bench as Fairfield spread the scoring across its lineup.
Carson Akerman led Kings with 10 points off the bench, while Sammy Shuler had nine. The Knights slipped to 2-6 on the season and host Lebanon on Friday.
The victory closed out Fairfield’s schedule before the new year, giving the Indians momentum — and some much-needed recovery time — heading into January. The Indians host Aiken on Jan. 6.
“We don’t play again for eight days, and that’s good for us,” Wyrick said. “We’ve got two guys out indefinitely and some others banged up who still played tonight. It’ll be nice to get them rest and hopefully go into the new year healthier.”
Wyrick said he was unaware of the milestone entering the game, brushing it off as secondary to the program’s growth.
“It’s cool. It’s something I’m proud of,” the coach said. “But it’s really about all the kids I’ve coached here and the players we’ve had.
“Now it’s about getting ready for Aiken and getting back to practice.”
Arington echoed that focus as Fairfield looks ahead.
“This is huge for momentum — three in a row,” Arington said. “We’re a transition, run-and-gun team, we defend, and we can score. So we’re going to continue to play how we’ve been playing and keep it going.”
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