Fairmont beat Sidney last Friday in Flyin’ to the Hoop, which is one the team’s marquee victories of the season. Sidney (10-3) is in first place in the North.
The Firebirds (7-7, 1-6 National East) had chances in the fourth quarter for another upset but couldn’t capitalize. When Springfield led by four points with under a minute to play, the Firebirds missed three shots in a 10-second span.
Springfield finally got the rebound after the third miss, and Danny Davis put down a one-handed dunk a few seconds later. Davis, who turned 19 on Friday, led the Wildcats with 26 points.
“We really struggled on the defensive end to get any consistent stops,” Fairmont coach Blair Albright said. “… At the other end, that pressure mounts where you have to score. We made some plays, but obviously couldn’t late. We can’t be in the business of trading baskets with that team.”
Jack Hendricks scored 26 points in the first three quarters for Fairmont, but the Wildcats held him scoreless in the fourth. Springfield coach Isaiah Carson credited Davis for buckling down in the fourth while defending Hendricks.
“I had to stay on his hips,” Davis said. “He’s a good guard. He’s quick and shifty with it. I just had to stay on his hip and get him off the line, no open 3s.”
In a game where each team had at least 50 shot attempts, second-chance shots were crucial. Springfield got 14 offensive rebounds compared Fairmont’s two.
“We want to take advantage of every opportunity we get,” Carson said. “Offensive rebounds are an extra opportunity for us to capitalize on. I thought we did that tonight.”
Fairmont is in last place in the National East, but Albright said the game showed the division’s strength.
“When you look at the divisions and you look at the alignment, man, our division is a grind,” Albright said. “We as a program have been knocking on the door of getting these types of wins in so many different settings. For whatever reason, we have not quite been able to get over the hump.
“I thought our kids came out and competed really hard after we were kind of shell-shocked by their speed early on. For us to battle back, you’ve got to be happy. But to their credit, Davis just took over.”
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