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Fairmont girls rally to top Beavercreek in GWOC showdown

Firebirds overcome a seven-point deficit in the final two minutes, then win in overtime.

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By Greg Billing, Staff Writer Updated 12:25 AM Sunday, December 20, 2009

BEAVERCREEK — Round one goes to Fairmont.

In a matchup of the top two high school girls basketball teams in the DDN Division I ratings, No. 1 Fairmont made them stand with a dramatic 50-44 overtime win at Beavercreek on Saturday, Dec. 19.

“He said if we want to be number one we have to play like number one,” Fairmont senior guard Jessica Beatty said of coach Tim Cogan’s pep talk.

It took nearly 32 minutes, but the Firebirds did.

Beavercreek led 29-20 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and 35-28 with 2:06 left in regulation before Fairmont rallied.

Freshman Chelsea Welch responded with a basket and foul, Beatty added a pair of free throws and Welch forced overtime with a defensive rebound and baseline-to-baseline drive with seven seconds left.

Fairmont never trailed in overtime, but its lead was cut to 45-44 on a Sammy Haddix 3-pointer — her third in OT — with 42 seconds left.

The Firebirds, who benefited from being in the bonus most of the fourth quarter and all of overtime, hit 5-of-7 free throws over the final 35 seconds to close out the game.

Overall, Fairmont hit 17-of-26 from the free-throw line while Beavercreek was 4-of-7.

“We’re just a team that we’re not going to go away,” Cogan said. “If we’re down our kids believe they can win regardless of the situation.”

The win gave Fairmont (6-0) sole possession of first place in the Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division at 3-0. Beavercreek (4-1) fell to 2-1.

“I told the girls we play them again and the bottom line is the team that executed at the end won the game,” Beavercreek coach Ed Zink said. “Nobody can fault the kids for hustle, but they just didn’t execute.”

Welch led Fairmont with 16 points, and Beatty added nine on 9-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line. Holly Carey also added nine as the Firebirds overcame a Beavercreek defense that held University of Dayton recruit Cassie Sant to five points.

“As teams try to do that we’re going to get other people opportunities,” Cogan said. “It’s not always bad if Cassie is not getting her 15 points.”

Haddix led Beavercreek with 16 points, Chelsea Bradley added 13 and Sara Kocian scored 10.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991, or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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