WINNSBORO – Finally back in the saddle after a long break, Fairfield Central basketball took on Keenan in a two-game series last week, their first region games of the season.
The Griffin girls took on defending state-champion Keenan at home on Wednesday. The Griffins led 18-11 at the end of the first quarter and extended the lead 36-20 at the half.
A Keenan comeback in the third put the Raiders on top of Fairfield 47-44 going into the final quarter, and they managed maintain the lead, sealing a 68-57 win over the Griffins.
De’asia Feaster led Griffin scorers with 24 points on the night. She also tallied 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Freshman Zanariah Yarborough put up 13 in the contest and Jordyn Adams, also a freshman, added 10. Yarborough added 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
The Fairfield girls didn’t fare as well on Friday in Columbia, falling 71-21 to the Raiders. Adams, who averages 13.7 points per game, led the Griffins with 13 points while Keenan held Feaster, the Griffins’ second highest scorer on the season at 13.2 points per game, to only four points, her lowest on the season. Feaster had 11 rebounds and a steal in Friday’s game.
The losses put Fairfield at 8-3 on the season (0-2 in region action).
The Griffin boys fell in a walkover contest in Wednesday’s game. Keenan, the defending AAA-Region 4 Champion, took a 68-28 win back to Columbia.
Fairfield took to Columbia for Friday’s rematch anew. The Griffins trailed by only 3 after a quarter of play, and narrowed the Raider lead to one at half.
Up 23-22 to start the third quarter, Keenan managed to extend the lead to 36-33. The Griffins continued to battle through the fourth, but the time expired before the Griffins could seal a win and Keenan took a 45-42 win.
The Griffins drop to 2-9 on the season and still hunting for their first region win.
Both Griffin teams are set to battle Chester next week in a two-game series. The first will be in Chester on Tuesday, and Fairfield will host the Cyclones on Friday.
