One of the best starts in Fairmont history continued while getting back a bit of revenge from its last loss. A 57-47 win against Princeton improved Fairmont to 20-0 overall.
“Oh, we wanted it a lot,” senior Kaylah Thornton said. “I’m proud of my team and my coaches.”
If there were any doubts about Fairmont’s status as a state contender, those were eliminated Monday after convincingly beating one of the other top challengers.
Credit: Steven Wright
Credit: Steven Wright
The Firebirds took the lead for good midway through the second quarter. A 12-0 run turned an early three-point deficit into a nine-point lead capped by a Thornton three-pointer from the left corner that sent her teammates on the floor into a frenzy.
Princeton didn’t back down, with sophomore Erin Thomas trying to carry her squad with a 27-point effort, but they didn’t have enough scoring options to spread out Fairmont’s defense. Numerous steals and half-court stops led to transition offense that Thornton and sophomore Janiyah Hargrave consistently converted into points.
But it was another sophomore that provided the cushion needed to begin the fourth quarter.
Maliyah Bailey scored six straight points to begin the final period. She did so by continually driving to her right and using her speed to get layup attempts while her teammates cleared space and trusted her with the ball in a five-point game.
“She shoots at a high percentage, free throws, three pointers, and then she finds a way if she’s going downhill she finds a way to get the ball up in the hoop,” Fairmont head coach Jeremey Finn said. “She’s a great kid and we love her to death.”
Credit: Steven Wright
Credit: Steven Wright
Bailey scored all 11 of her points in the second half and played a big part in holding down Princeton’s offense for nearly four minutes without a basket during her run.
Finn said he has watched her unselfish behavior make her a more mature player on the floor.
Keeping the ball in her hands was the right time for a bit of an opportunist.
“She’s definitely an x-factor is what I would say with her,” Finn said. “When she’s on the floor, she’s going to create something on one side or the other.”
As the final minutes ticked down, Fairmont went back to its star. Thornton began knocking down free throws, including four in a row after a Princeton technical foul was called during the final minute. She scored 24 points on the night.
“It was nerve wracking, but I think we pulled it off just staying composed and staying true to us,” Thornton said. “Knowing what we know and what we have, I think we played pretty good.”
Princeton (13-3) had only lost to IMG Academy in its season opener and later to Mason by one. The Vikings were every bit the test Fairmont was looking for heading into the postseason.
And like all the others so far they are passing.
The 20 straight wins saw Fairmont already clinch its second consecutive Greater Western Ohio Conference championship last week and there’s one game left at Springfield on Monday to try and complete back-to-back 14-0 league records. The Firebirds have won all but three of its games by double digits this season.
“This is a very good moment, but we still got something that we want to achieve. And I think we all want it, we’re all ready for it,” Thornton said. “If we get to that state and playing together and playing tough...”
Thornton stopped there, but the smile on her face displayed the end of her thought. She and her teammates are believing they have a chance.
Monday’s victory against a team that was just where Fairmont wants to go will only increase those levels of confidence.
“You want all of them, but we knew this was going to be a really good crowd,” Finn said. “Our girls were excited to play in front of them and it’s just a good feeling to play really good teams at home. We’ve been lucky enough to have several good teams come here and play, but this was a good game in a fun environment with two really, really good teams. And I was pretty happy with our girls.”
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