Depth, transition baskets propel Fair Grove to statement win over Mt. Vernon

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By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Fair Grove, Mo. — It’s still early in the season, but Fair Grove sent a clear message Monday night with a convincing 77-60 win over Mt. Vernon.

Class 3 will be contested this year, and the biggest threat to Strafford’s bid for three titles in a row might well reside in its own district, some ten miles north on highway 125.

While Fair Grove was led by Alana Findley’s 20 points, the Lady Eagles’ attack was anything but one-dimensional, as five players finished in double figures.

Even more impressive was the fact Findley and two other starters sat on the bench for a good portion of the second half in foul trouble. Despite her limited time, Findley was able to pull down 21 rebounds as well.

Fair Grove’s depth rose up when Jenny Talbert needed it most; her team facing relentless pressure from a deep Mt. Vernon roster intent on forcing a frantic tempo.

Early on, that strategy worked for the Lady Mt’Neers.

Fair Grove turned the ball over three times in the first 30 seconds alone and trailed Mt. Vernon 14-10 after the opening frame.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME

“We played probably one of our worst quarters ever in that first quarter,” Talbert said. “Just sloppy. Our inside game is our strength, and we weren’t even able to get it past half court at times.”

Worse yet, a rising foul count began playing havoc with Fair Grove’s inside-out strategy.

Junior Harley Maxwell and sophomore Maddie Clark each picked up two quick fouls early in the first. After the 6-foot-2 Maxwell picked up her third midway through the second, Fair Grove turned to Findley.

The 5-foot-10 junior responded, scoring 12 of her 20 points in the second quarter to help give Fair Grove a slim, 33-32 lead at the break.

Whatever momentum Fair Grove had quickly evaporated, however, as the wheels threatened to come off in the second half.

During the first four minutes of the third quarter, a cavalcade of fouls put the Lady Eagles in severe duress with Findley, Maxwell and Clark all on the bench with four fouls each.

To make matters worse, a Caitlyn Hicks basket at 3:52 put the Lady ‘Neers up 43-41 and on the verge of blowing the game wide open.

The 5-foot-7 junior proved to be a constant thorn for Fair Grove’s interior defense, finding driving lanes, drawing contact fouls and connecting on 14 of her team-high 20 points in the second half.

Facing the game’s most crucial stretch with three starters on the bench, Fair Grove was forced to look elsewhere for leadership.

Senior Taylor Bell and junior Cydney Fullerton answered the call.

The 5-foot-10 Bell scored 6 points in a row for the Lady Eagles to close out the third quarter and open up the fourth with a 50-47 Fair Grove lead.

“I was actually really nervous,” Bell said. “Usually, our game plan is to get it inside to Alana and Harley, because they’re post players that score the majority of our points. Having to be a guard and a post all in one, it was a little scary for me, but a lot of the other players on the bench stepped up, too, so it was a team effort from everyone.”

Fullerton responded on the defensive end, shadowing Mt. Vernon standout Cameron Call and forcing the junior to work for every shot.

Call would finish the game with 16 points; however, the 5-foot-7 playmaker didn’t see many open looks and, as a result, struggled from the field due to pressure applied from Fullerton and Clark.

Talbert praised the pair for what was a huge key to Fair Grove’s win.

“I thought our defense on Cameron Call was awesome,” Talbert said. “Maddie Clark and Cydney Fullerton came out and just did a great job on her, and she’s one of the best guards we’ll see all season. We just talked to them about always staying between her and the basket — ‘Don’t gamble for steals, just stay right with her at all times.’”

After a 4-0 run from Hicks put the Lady ‘Neers back on top 51-50, coach Talbert rolled the dice.

Findley, Maxwell and Clark all checked in with 6:47 remaining in the game, and the move paid immediate dividends.

Findley’s quick basket kicked off a 9-0 Fair Grove run that finally gave the Lady Eagles some breathing room at 59-51.

While Mt. Vernon continued to apply pressure in hopes of regaining momentum, Fair Grove’s ball handlers found seams in the press and got the ball to wide-open shooters at the other end for quick, transition buckets.

A trio of 3-pointers from Fullerton and Clark sparked another big push — this one an 18-2 run — to help close out the game in convincing fashion.

Not a single Lady Eagle fouled out in the process.

After the game, Talbert talked about her team’s poise hitting a flurry of big shots in the game’s final minutes.

“Last year, we wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Talbert said. “We were still inexperienced, but this year, they’re confident shooting those shots, they want the ball at the end of the game and you can just see a big growth in maturity.”

Findley also had plenty of praise for her teammates for stepping up in huge moments.

“I hate being on the bench,” Findley said. “But to watch our teammates not only keep the lead, but extend it, it was awesome. The third quarter was really great, and that was a make-or-break moment, right there, and it showed we have the mental and physical strength to stay in the game.”

Fullerton, Bell, Maxwell and Lexie Sutherland all joined Findley in double figures, scoring 15, 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Mt. Vernon head coach Dusty Killingsworth pointed to Fair Grove’s ability to repeatedly knock down difficult shots in late-game transition as the deciding factor.

“We want to make the other team play fast and take quick shots,” Killingsworth said. “All the credit goes to Fair Grove, because they made shot after shot after shot. They’re taking corner 3s in transition quickly, and that’s what we want. It’s a tough, tough shot and, tonight, they hit them. That put us on our heels.”

Despite the loss, Killingsworth found plenty of positives to take away as the Lady ‘Neers move forward this season.

“This one was nip-and-tuck,” Kilingsworth said. “We had a chance, but we just kind of let the ball get away from us in the fourth quarter, but this is what I love about this group. In the locker room, I sat down and they communicated; they were accountable. I’ve been around basketball for a long time, and I don’t know if I’ve had too many teams sit in a locker room and be that accountable for a loss. That makes me smile, because I know what’s down the road for us.”

Mt. Vernon (4-1) is back in action at home against Monett Thursday, Dec. 14, while Fair Grove (7-0) welcomes El Dorado Springs to town Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Varsity final: Fair Grove – 77, Mt. Vernon – 60

Fair Grove 10 23 15 29 — 77
Mt. Vernon 14 18 15 13 — 60

Fair Grove scoring: Alana Findley – 20, Cydney Fullerton – 15, Taylor Bell – 13, Harley Maxwell – 12, Lexie Sutherland – 11, Maddie Clark – 6

Mt. Vernon scoring: Caitlyn Hicks – 20, Cameron Call – 16, Ashlyn McCanless – 7, Ellie Johnson – 6, Lyndsey Hood – 5, Camryn Eldridge – 5, Lacy Stokes – 1

JV Final: Fair Grove – 40, Mr. Vernon – 26
(Brooklyn Luna – 16 points)

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