Slow start dooms Fairfield vs. Chariton

The Fairfield girls? basketball team?s regular season stretch run that features three home games this week is still looking to get off the ground following a loss to Chariton Tuesday night.

The Trojans (5-12) were plagued by another slow start as Chariton (6-11) jumped out to a 10-0 lead early and continued on its way to a 62-35 victory.

2010 Class 3A state high jump champ Tanna Seuferer was too much for Fairfield to handle in the paint as she scored the first seven points of the game in less than three minutes. Seuferer finished the first quarter with nine and put up a game-high 23 by the time the final buzzer sounded.

Presley Swan hit her first of three 3-pointers in the game to put the Chargers ahead 10-0. Serena Ward answered with a long ball of her own on the ensuing possession, but Chariton had more coming.

Swan connected again early in the second quarter to bump the lead back to double digits and it never went back.

?The biggest thing right now is that we have to take what we do in practice into games,? said Fairfield head coach Billy Strickler. ?We had a great practice [Monday], our man defense looked really good, everybody was doing what they needed to do and talking up a storm, but we come in here tonight and I don?t even see half of it.?

Ward?s free throws with 1:32 remaining in the first half were just Fairfield?s second addition to the scoreboard in the quarter that finished with a total of six points. The junior finished with 18 points.

A 6-0 mini run capped by Sidney Baumann?s steal and fastbreak cut the deficit to 39-23 in the third quarter, but it was the closest the Trojans would get the rest of the way.

Baumann finished the game with six points, Erin Thompson had seven points and seven rebounds and Taylor Neil came down with four boards.

Next up for Fairfield is Thursday?s makeup game vs. Centerville and a preview for the regional opener set for Feb. 16.

?Any momentum we can get going before regionals is something we need. I really thought it was going to start tonight,? Strickler said. ?Thursday is one of those games where you?re either going to make a statement or they will. It?s one of the biggest games we?ve had this year.?