By GARY KAUFFMAN
Fairfield overcame a sluggish first half to post a 53-35 win over Westview Friday in the semi-final of the Northeast Corner Conference tourney.
Westview went on a 9-0 run in the second quarter to take an 18-9 lead, aided by Fairfield turning the ball over on its first five possessions.
But the Warriors failed to capitalize on a chance to move the lead to double digits and Brooke Schwartz bombed in a 3 for the Falcons.
That seemed to turn the game in Fairfield's direction.
"Sometimes that's what a 3-ball will do for you," Falcon coach Steve Proctor said. "In the first half we played a little unsure. We were confused by the defense they were running."
Proctor said the capacity crowd also took time to adjust to.
"Normally we play in front of a fourth this many people," he said. "But give credit to Westview, the put a lot of pressure on the ball."
The Falcons came out of halftime trailing 21-16 but in just over a minute had taken the lead following a basket by Haley Bechtel, another 3 by Schwartz and a pair for free throws from Jaime Stack.
Fairfield pulled steadily away and put the lead into double digits with four points in less than a second at the end of the third.
Bechtel made a pair of free throws with seven-tenths of a second on the clock. Diamond Setterberg then stole the inbounds pass and put it in as the buzzer sounded.
That gave Fairfield a 35-25 lead and they continued to add to it in the fourth.
The Falcons hit 20-of-27 free throws, although two of the misses came in the final seven seconds.
"That's why we encourage penetration so much," Proctor said. "Good things happen when you attack the basket."
Stack scored 16 with eight rebounds for Fairfield, while Bechtel added 11 points. Setterberg had four assists.
Skyler Carpenter led the Westview with 10 points and Jade Oakley grabbed 11 rebounds.
