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Fairmont girls basketball opens fast in big win

Firebirds open with 20-0 lead as junior Welch scores 25 points.

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By Jay Morrison, Staff Writer Updated 12:26 AM Saturday, November 26, 2011

KETTERING — The Fairmont girls basketball team did a lot of amazing things during its run to the Division I state championship game last year, but what the Firebirds did Friday night in their season opener was a first.

Fairmont took a lead before the game even started when visiting Fairfield was charged with a technical foul for failing to enter its starters in the scorebook on time.

The Indians, on the other hand, didn’t get their first points until just 22 seconds were left in the first quarter as Fairmont smothered the guests with a 20-0 start on the way to a 64-41 victory at Trent Arena.

“The technical was an unfortunate thing for them, but our kids are hungry to play again and you could see that,” Firebirds coach Tim Cogan said. “With our last game being the state finals and losing it and then to have to wait a whole year to play again, you could see their emotions and their excitement coming out.”

Junior point guard Chelsea Welch led the fast start by scoring 17 of her game-high 25 points in the first half, but she also played the key role defensively by limiting All-Ohio guard Raeshaun Gaffney to 6-of-28 shooting for 15 points, 12 below her 2010-11 average.

“I think our style of defense frustrated (Gaffney), and I think Chelsea Welch did a phenomenal job on her,” Cogan said. “She’s our best defender. She’s a warrior, she really is.”

After falling in the early 20-point hole, the Indians got as close as 13 in the second half. But Fairmont freshman Shea Morgan came off the bench to score 10 of her 12 points after the break to help put an end to whatever hope the Indians had of climbing back into it.

“I think she kicked her confidence in tonight with her first game as a freshman playing in the big environment,” Cogan said. “It was a nice start for her.”

Sophomore Kathryn Westbeld added 16 points and she, Welch, Morgan and sophomore Emma Havener all shared team-high rebounding honors with seven each.

“That’s the No. 2 team in the state from last year, and we just got off to a horrible start,” Fairfield coach David Loper said. “The problem was we couldn’t get any shots, and we didn’t make any shots. We just couldn’t put the ball in the hoop.”

The Indians missed their first 14 shots from the floor and finished the game 15-of-59 (25.4 percent). Fairmont went 23-of-53 (43.4 percent), although the Firebirds did commit 23 turnovers.

“I saw a lot of mistakes that we need to fix,” Cogan said. “But I think our energy level and our effort was pretty good. It was a good start to the season.”

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