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Gassion fuels Fairborn in upset of Fairmont

With 16 college coaches looking on, junior gets 24 points, 14 rebounds.

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By Dave Long, Contributing Writer 12:00 AM Tuesday, December 13, 2011

FAIRBORN — Alexis Gassion solidified her rating as one of the top juniors in Ohio on Monday night.

With 16 Division I college coaches in the stands, Gassion, a 5-foot-11 guard, scored 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and handed out four assists as Fairborn, No. 3 in the Dayton Daily News Division I girls high school basketball ratings, stunned No. 1 Fairmont, 42-38.

The Skyhawks are 5-0. Fairmont, last year’s D-I runner-up and No. 5 in some polls, is 3-1.

“Considering the whole scene, this might be the best regular-season (game) I’ve ever played,” said Gassion, who averages 17 points and 12 rebounds. “No one expected us to win because Fairmont has everyone back from their state team last year.

“Plus there was a lot of pressure because all those coaches were there to see us play. But I felt our whole team stepped up when we needed to.”

Fairborn’s overall team defense was better than many fans expected, holding Fairmont to 11-of-47 shooting (23.4 percent), including 3-for-18 from 3-point range.

“About as big a regular-season win as we’ve had,” said Fairborn coach Steve Hannaford. “No one expected us to win with the people we lost to graduation and injuries. Alexis was money tonight when we needed her and the other kids did exactly what we asked them to on defense.”

Gassion wasn’t the only big-time prospect the coaches were there to see. Fairmont’s 6-2 Kathryn Westbeld, one of the best sophomores in the country, had 16 points and 22 rebounds. But she only got one field goal in the second half with Fairborn’s Mari King playing her tough.

Fairmont’s Chelsea Welch, a 5-9 junior, is also a future prime-timer. But she managed only eight points with Gassion on her.

Fairborn took the lead for good. 29-28, when Alex Smith hit a 3-point shot with 31 seconds left in the third quarter. That lead extended to five points, and while Fairmont got within two, Fairborn answered with clutch points from Gassion, Kate Profitt and Brianna Gladney.

“These players chose to lose this game tonight,” said Fairmont coach Tim Cogan. “They were selfish and did not do what we asked them to do.”

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