Eighth-grade ?A? team blasts Panthers

In eighth-grade girls basketball action Tuesday, the Fairfield ?A? team beat Mount Pleasant 40-27 to notch its second win over the Panthers in under a week.

The Trojans took a 12-point lead into halftime before seeing the advantage dwindle to six late in the third. The girls came out firing in the fourth period, however, and nailed a few crucial free throws late to seal the victory.

Leading scorers for the Trojans were Mackenzie Flattery with 13 points, Taylor Ferrel with 10 and Delaney Neil with nine. Mikaela Amendt had four points, while Alli Deao and Lindsey Repp added two apiece.

?We set out tonight hoping to stop Mount Pleasant?s big girl, who had 14 against us last game. Tonight she only scored six,? said Fairfield head coach Derek Philips. ?Molly Ryan had the challenging task of defending her most of the game, and she really did a heck of a job. She boxed her out and didn?t allow her many second chance shots.?

The Fairfield ?B? team lost a defensive battle to the Panthers 8-4.

Courtney Gilmore and Lindsey Repp scored two each.

?It just seemed as if the baskets had a lid on them as our shots just didn?t fall,? said Philips. ?These girls are fighters. They play hard and are working their tails off every single night. From where we started to where we are now is just amazing.?

The eighth-grade girls have two games remaining, starting with the team?s final home contest today vs. Ottumwa. The ?A? team sits at 7-3 overall, and the ?B? team is now 4-6 on the season.