“They’re a lot better team than we are,” Dickson said of the Indians. “They’re bigger, they’re stronger, and they have one of the best guards in the area in Raeshaun Gaffney.”
Gaffney, a junior guard who transferred to Fairfield from Mount Notre Dame, led all players with 27 points and also pulled down 10 rebounds. Fellow MND transfer Carling Daniels, a senior forward, added 16 points and six boards.
But it was Fairfield’s defense that really made the difference. The Indians forced 32 turnovers and ended up scoring 40 points off of them.
“You’re not going to win too many games with (32) turnovers,” Dickson said. “Some of them were due to mental mistakes on our part, but most were because they played hard, aggressive defense.”
Valley View only trailed 20-17 after the first quarter, and the deficit was still three — 29-26 — with less than three minutes to go before halftime.
But Fairfield closed the first half on a 9-1 run, and the Indians carried that momentum into the third quarter, forcing Valley View into turnovers on nine consecutive possessions at one point.
“When we sat down and finally started playing defense, we were much better,” FHS coach Patrick O’Leary said. “That third quarter was an indication that they finally started to talk and made sure they got their hands in the passing lane and had some good ball pressure.”
Despite the blowout, Dickson said he was impressed by how his players continued to play hard even when the outcome was no longer in doubt.
Sophomore Hannah Collins recorded a double-double with a team-high 12 points and game-high 14 rebounds, while junior Brooke Lewis added 10 points.
The Spartans face Middletown at 4 p.m. today at the Middies’ Wade E. Miller Gym.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.
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