Fairfield hurdles all problems

FAIRFIELD - No practice for a month, no problem. Tired from playing less than 20 hours before. not them. Third head coach in three years, no big deal. First Southeast Conference game of the season, not a concern.

The Fairfield High School girls basketball team was not concerned with any of the obstacles placed in front of them Saturday when it defeated visiting Washington 53-22 in the first game of a doubleheader with the boys after defeating Pekin 42-38 in the second game of a girls doubleheader Friday.

Anna Dunlap opened the scoring and Mallory Lyon followed with a bucket but Greta Rothe's drive and score for Washington mut the scoreboard at 4-2.

Danielle Breen converted two free throws and Rothe hit 1-of-2 to get the Demons within 6-3 of the Trojans lead with 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter. It was 26-3 with 3 minutes left in the first half before Washington scored again and the halftime score was 33-5.

Washington had just totaled its season high score the previous night in a home loss to Mt. Pleasant. The Demons had spent a lot of practice time on offensive work. While the eye test could see that the Demons attacked the basket more, it did not show on the scoreboard.

'That Fairfield team, they are a team that gets after it on the defense. When sharks smell blood in the water they attack,” Washington head coach Shannon Rugg said. 'Once they could tell we were uncomfortable, then their energy went up a little bit more.”

Washington's leading scorer, Anna Nacos, went out of the game at the 6:31 mark of the second quarter. She had been nursing an injury from the previous night.

'It's too bad their best girl wasn't up to her standard,” new Fairfield coach Pat Pacha said. 'We were ready for her but then we are going to be ready for anybody.”

Breen led in scoring in both Fairfield wins, following her 13-point outing in the Pekin with 12 in the conference victory.

Breen also had three steals. Brynley Allison netted nine points. Mallory Lyon, Ashlyn Lisk and Kelsey Pacha each scored four points. Delaney Breen notched five points while Anna Dunlap and Hannah Simpson scored three each. Pacha was the rebounding leader with seven.

Kaylin Long had seven points to lead the Demons. Makenna Conrad and Greta Rothe each scored three points. Anna Nacos, Ava Turner, and Elyse Hunt had two points apiece. Long was the leading rebounder.

'Not getting to practice for a month, you can still play defense because it consists of effort,” Pacha said.

Not getting on the court for that long can also hinder a new coach's effort to install his system. Washington's coach didn't think that affected the Trojans.

'That is a veteran team that knows what to do,” Rugg said. 'They're a group that knows how to win and we are a group that's trying to learn how.”

'It's unfortunate that we keep changing coaches,” Danielle Breen said. 'It obviously affects the consistency of a team.”

Terminology changes, plays change, defenses change, offenses change every time a coach changes.

'It's kind of hard to make that switch,” Danielle Breen said. 'Pat is a really good coach. He's been working with my dad (Dan Breen). Josh Allison is helping out so it's going well.”

Eight of the 11 varsity players for Fairfield are juniors. The three coaches have had completely different styles according to Danielle Breen.

'Our junior class, though, we have played together for so long that it helps,” Danielle Breen said. 'So we know we want to play aggressive and play hard defense, so that's what works for us.”