Trojans bridle Mustangs

FAIRFIELD - Hannah Simpson is on a roll.

After never reaching double digits in scoring, the Fairfield junior now has back-to-back games with double digits, hitting for 13 points Monday in a 44-30 nonconference home win over PCM. Fairfield's boys lost to PCM 74-46.

Simpson had 23 points Friday in a win at Washington.

'They were looking for her inside, but now we just need her to finish,” Fairfield head coach Pat Pacha said. 'And make her free throws.”

Simpson was 5-of-11 Monday and 3-of-7 Friday on free throws.

PCM's girls are 1-12 and Fairfield is 4-1 with Mt. Pleasant coming Friday.

PCM's boys are 6-6 and Fairfield is 1-5 and travels to Mt. Pleasant Friday.

Olivia Jones had eight points in the first half, 10 in the game, as Fairfield's defense held the visitors to a basket in each of the first two quarters for a 22-4 halftime lead.

'We tried the track meet in the first half and that's not what we do, not what we like, not what works for us,” PCM girls head coach Jeff Lindsay said. 'We are built to be a grind it out team. We need to shorten the game.”

Simpson scored twice at the beginning of the second half on picture perfect passes from Jones, but the Mustangs then put together a 13-2 run.

Pacha tried to stop the run, calling timeout with 3 minutes, 22 seconds remaining then called another at the 2:28 mark and met his team at half court. The Mustangs closed the quarter on a 10-6 run from that timeout, and the scoreboard showed 34-20 starting the fourth quarter.

'We had some great defense in the first half, but I think we got tired playing our man defense so we go to the zone,” Simpson said. 'But we're better with our pressure with the man. Then we got in foul trouble, so kind of takes it away.”

Fairfield got six points from Delaney Breen and Danielle Breen had eight points before fouling out. Anna Dunlap scored four and Lyon three.

'I've been posting up and they've been looking for me inside and that has been working for us,” Simpson said. 'I think we're getting more confidence in our passing and we have worked on that in practice, so it is showing up in the games.”

Fairfield struggled to get it inside at the beginning of the year, but the practice time seems to be showing dividends.

'When I get a basket, I get hot and get going and my teammates can rely on me,” Simpson said. 'They didn't double-team me in our last game, but they started to tonight. When they do that, Mallory (Lyon) and OJ (Olivia Jones) make themselves available for the pass.”

Each team scored 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The boys game was well in hand by the fourth quarter.

'PCM is a really good, big-sized, veteran team,” Fairfield coach Mick Flattery said. 'They turned many of our turnovers into points.”

Max Weaton had a double-double for Fairfield with 14 rebounds and 16 points. Blake Holden canned four 3-pointers for his 12 points. Isaac Harris had six points, Evan Haines five, Myles McEntee with JJ Lane and Tate Allen at three each.

'For us, it was good to see Blake shoot the ball well,” Flattery said. 'Isaac Harris battled hard inside.”

PCM stretched a 16-9 first quarter lead with a 13-3 run to start the second quarter and it was 40-21 at halftime, 61-34 at the end of three periods.

'They tried a whole lot of different defenses against us and the press and I thought we handled it all very well,” PCM boys head coach Fred Lorenson said. 'Once we got some easy baskets in the second quarter, we got ahead and that helped our confidence.”

I struggled with my rebounds because they were more aggressive and probably one of the most aggressive teams we played this season.

I think we relaxed and we can't do that. We did not shoot very well the first time but we played some awesome defense. Once I got momentum in the second half and think we panicked. They started scoring and went to that three-quarter court press and we did not handle it well. It forced to serve our rhythm. You have to attack the press and we were tentative.