By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Fair Grove senior Shea Skouby reflected on 12 years of basketball and friendships. A wave of nostalgia kicked in as she described how it all started.
“I just think back to when we were in elementary school, me and my friends,” Skouby said. “Playing together and everything. Now that we’re seniors, we’ve dreamt of this moment for so long, now that I’m here I want to go back and start all over with these girls.”
No class to ever walk the hallways at Fair Grove High School has ever won as much as the 2025 Lady Eagles.
On Monday night, the basketball portion of that group – eight seniors in all – was honored. Minutes later, they delivered one more “show” on their home court.
Fair Grove (22-4 overall, 7-0 Mid-Lakes Conference) looked postseason ready as it rolled to a 65-33 victory over Clever. The victory gives the Lady Eagles their first conference championship in over a decade.
“I told them before the game, ‘You have a lot of people here to watch you. Go put on a show. Do what you do,’” said Fair Grove coach Gary Greene. “What people want to see out of (them) is not what you think when I say, ‘Put on a show.’
“They want to see you compete. They want to see you out there sharing the ball and getting on the floor for loose balls. That’s what they do, and that’s why people like to watch them.”
Monday’s outcome was never in doubt as Fair Grove blitzed Clever from the start.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
The Lady Eagles, who moved up to No. 1 in the Class 3 state poll this week, led 20-6 after the first quarter and 42-20 by halftime.
With the win, the Lady Eagles clinched a Mid-Lakes Conference championship in basketball for the first time in 14 years (2010-11).
“We were talking about that before we played tonight, when we came in to shoot around,” Skouby said. “We were like, ‘When’s the last time we even won (conference)?’ Fourteen years. It’s mind-blowing.”
All eight Fair Grove seniors scored. Abbey Green led the way with 14 points. Ashton Bell added 12 points, about three points shy of her team-high average.
“You want to make sure everyone gets a chance to be recognized,” Greene said. “With eight seniors, it’s a little difficult. But they played well enough to allow us to do that.
“They’ve played together so long, and they care so much about each other. That’s the thing that makes them unique. They don’t care about statistics and individual stuff. They really, truly care about the team and care about each other. That’s what makes it special.”
Skouby, who was a top player on Fair Grove’s back-to-back state championship volleyball team in the fall, said the group’s origins are in basketball.
“This (senior night) means more because there are more of us, too, and this will probably be the last sport we play together,” said Skouby, who will continue her athletics career at Missouri State for beach volleyball.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
Brooke Wheeler led Clever (12-12 overall, 3-3 MLC) with nine points. The Lady Jays have two more regular season games left on the schedule: Feb. 20 at Springfield Catholic and Feb. 21 vs. Mt. Vernon.
Clever will host its district tournament next week. The Lady Jays hope to win their third district title in four seasons.
The regular season is over for Fair Grove, who will be the top seed in next week’s Class 3 District 9 Tournament at Seymour. The Lady Eagles have overcome some recent injuries and enter district play with a clean bill of health.
“We’re fortunate that we’re very healthy right now,” Greene said.
Fair Grove 65, Clever 33
Clever 6 14 6 7 — 33
Fair Grove 20 22 23 0 — 65
Clever (12-12 overall, 3-3 MLC) – Brooke Wheeler 9, Bella Argo 8, Ella Newman 7, Kenzie Camp 3, Lex Flood 2, Izi Hunter 2, Katelynn Butts 2
Fair Grove (22-4 overall, 7-0 MLC) – Abbey Green 14, Ashton Bell 12, Brooke Daniels 9, Shea Skouby 8, Meadow Carter 6, Emma Padgett 5, Emaley Stallings 5, Cam Hart 4, Kara Padgett 2
