By Chris Parker
The Fair Grove and Principia girls basketball teams have held the top two spots in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 3 state rankings all season long.
On Wednesday, the two teams showed the voters knew what they were talking about.
Principia beat Portageville 61-29 in the first semifinal. In the second semifinal, Fair Grove put on a defensive masterpiece beating Lone Jack 55-22.
“Our athleticism is pretty good. When you watch film, you realize you have some advantages you want to take advantage of the best you can,” Fair Grove head coach Greene said. “(We) have incredible length. It just makes it hard for people to do stuff.”
Lone Jack scored the first three points 23 seconds into the game to take a 3-0 lead. Fair Grove answered by scoring the next 15 points in a row and 24 of the next 26 holding Lone Jack to one field goal over the next 10:07 of game time.
Brooke Daniels had 14 points and six rebounds while Abbey Green also scored 14 points while pulling down eight rebounds. Ashton Bell also scored in double figures with 12 points.
The win sets up a showdown with Principia, the Class 2 runner-up last season, for the Class 3 state championship on Thursday. Fair Grove will be looking for its third consecutive state championship.
“I think whoever did the rankings got it right,” Greene said. “I think they (Principia) is extremely athletic. What I like the most about our (team) is that these (girls) grew up together. We are a public school. Our kids grew up together. They have been playing together since they were five. They have been playing together and they love each other. Is that other team good? Yes they are. So are we.”
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Athleticism will be the theme of the title game.
“I think it will be two really athletic teams challenging each other on both ends of the floor. I think they will challenge us defensively and I think we will do some things to challenge them defensively,” Greene said. “I think that game will come down to who doesn’t turn the ball over. If we can throw it to the Fair Grove kids, we have a good shot.”
Before the game tomorrow, the Fair Grove girls have one final night in Columbia together.
“We are always going to the same hotel room. We are always hanging out together until he (Coach Gary Greene) says go to bed. We know it is the end for us and we really savoring all these moments up here together with every single thing we do together,” Green said. “It is sad to think about now that you said it. I really haven’t thought about it being the last time we will all be together. It is the last time we will all be together for basketball, and that is really sad considering how long we have been together. I kind of take it for granted just how long we actually have been able to play together and how well we know each other on the floor and off the floor. So, thinking about that, its definitely kind of heartbreaking, but knowing we have tomorrow and we’re going to leave it all on the floor together is going to be amazing.”
While the Fair Grove girls have been playing together since they first picked up a basketball, Greene joined the program as head coach just last season and the effect this group of players has had on him is profound.
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“I love them. It’s hard for me to say anything else. I have told them this many times, but they have made me better than I have made them,” Greene said. “That doesn’t happen very often in this profession. They make me want to do better. They make me want to work harder. They make me want to love better.”
Class 3 No. 1 Fair Grove and No. 2 Principia play at 6 pm on Thursday in Columbia at Mizzou Arena for the Class 3 state championship.
