By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Gary Greene was on the opposing side when Fair Grove beat Mansfield by two in last season’s Class 3 state quarterfinals.
One play still sticks out: Brooke Daniels securing a crucial rebound in the final seconds to help Fair Grove prevail.
“She rebounded her missed free throw with none of her teammates on the line,” said Greene, now Fair Grove’s head coach. “That’s when I knew (this group was special).”
The Lady Eagles are two wins away from making it another special season.
Fair Grove, the defending Class 3 girls’ state champion, is headed back to the final four.
The Lady Eagles defeated Fatima 61-42 at home on Friday night in a Class 3 quarterfinal matchup with a capacity crowd on hand.
Whether it’s volleyball, basketball or softball, the wins and trophies just keep piling up for the Fair Grove girls.
“We don’t get groups like this very often in the coaching world,” Greene said. “They’re so special. I’ve never seen anyone compete like this group.”
Fair Grove will play St. Pius X from Festus (24-5 overall) at 2 p.m. next Friday, March 8 in the Class 3 Girls’ Show-Me Showdown semifinals at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
“We’re pumped,” Daniels said. “All season long, we’ve been waiting for this moment. Traveling up to Mizzou I think is going to be good for us. Last year, we got to sleep in our own beds which was nice. But I think going away will be a good experience for our team, too.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
El Dorado Springs (27-3 overall) plays Centralia (25-4 overall) at 4 p.m. in the other Class 3 semifinal. Wins by Fair Grove and El Dorado Springs would set up a rematch of last year’s Class 3 state championship game.
Ashton Bell (19) and Daniels (18) led Fair Grove in scoring on Friday night. The Lady Eagles shook off a slow start to lead 23-13 by halftime and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.
Daniels provided an early spark with a pair of first-half 3-pointers against Fatima’s zone defense.
“I’m usually more of a driver with the ball, but I was like, ‘Why not try a few?’” Daniels said. “I shot the first one, it went in. I shot another one, all right. So, it was on tonight. And thank goodness it was, it was great for our team and a good start.”
Fair Grove’s defense overwhelmed Fatima while the game was still close, allowing just 22 points over the first three quarters.
Daniels, from her point guard spot, initiated the carnage with steals, deflections and physical defense.
“When Brooke stays on the floor, we’re really good,” Greene said. “I’ll have to go back and watch this game to appreciate how good she was tonight. Everywhere we needed someone to be, she was there defensively.”
Fair Grove also beat Fatima (84-58) in its season opener back on Nov. 21.
Next weekend will mark the first time that Greene has coached in a state final four for basketball. He spent 22 years coaching at Mansfield and Licking, amassing nearly 400 wins in that time, before taking the Fair Grove job last summer.
“I want to thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity to come over here, and also everybody at Fair Grove who had the confidence to bring me over here and be a part of this,” Greene said. “He deserves the credit and they deserve the credit for giving me this opportunity. And these kids deserve a lot of credit because they are awesome.”
Fair Grove 61, Fatima 42
Fatima 9 4 9 20 — 42
Fair Grove 11 12 18 20 — 61
Fatima (22-7 overall) – Lucy Crede 13, Alli Robertson 9, Vivian Bax 8, Kaitlyn Passmeyer 5, Madelyn Backes 3, Alex Berhost 2, Kristen Robertson 2
Fair Grove (23-7 overall) – Ashton Bell 19, Brooke Daniels 18, Cam Hart 9, Abbey Green 6, Allison Findley 6, Shea Skouby 2, Emma Padgett 1
