The Fairfield Trojans nearly erased a double-digit deficit but came up just short, falling to Ottumwa 51-46 on Tuesday, December 9th. Despite winning both the third and fourth quarters, a slow start prevented Fairfield from completing the comeback. The loss dropped the Trojans to 1-2, while Ottumwa earned its first win of the season to improve to 1-3.
Game Recap
Ottumwa jumped out to an early 15-9 lead after the first quarter and extended their advantage to 29-19 by halftime. Fairfield began chipping away in the third quarter, but Ottumwa’s Luke Thompson hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the frame, giving the Bulldogs a 41-34 lead and temporarily stalling Fairfield’s momentum.
The Trojans continued their rally in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to two at 44-42 before pulling within one at 47-46. Fairfield’s aggressive defensive pressure created turnovers and fastbreak opportunities that fueled the comeback attempt. Down three at 49-46, the Trojans called timeout to draw up a final play. Drew Myers launched a three-pointer with three seconds remaining that nearly banked in, hitting the backboard and bouncing off the front of the rim. Fairfield was forced to foul desperately, and Ottumwa made both free throws to seal the 51-46 victory.
Fairfield Stats
Starters:
Ethan Bisgard led Fairfield with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals, including seven points in the second quarter. Drew Myers added 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Eli Zillman recorded six points, a team-high 11 rebounds, two steals, and one block. Brock Atwood contributed two points and two rebounds. Axl Starr finished with two points, two rebounds, and one steal.
Bench:
Spencer McCready provided a spark with six points, two rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Nolan Smith added three points and three rebounds. Jeremy Parker chipped in two points and one rebound. Rowan Kness grabbed one rebound and dished out one assist.
Team Comparison
Fairfield shot 17-of-53 from the field, 2-of-16 from three-point range, and 10-of-17 from the free-throw line. The Trojans totaled 31 rebounds, 13 steals, 11 turnovers, and committed 17 fouls.
Ottumwa shot 18-of-42 from the field, 5-of-12 from three-point range, and 10-of-15 from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs grabbed 34 rebounds, recorded 5 steals, turned the ball over 22 times, and committed 8 fouls.
Ottumwa received balanced scoring, with Jace Mitchell leading the way with 12 points. Cedrik VanEngelenhoven added 10 points, while Mason Gravett, Luke Thompson, and Charlie Morgan each contributed 8 points.
Coach’s Perspective
Fairfield head coach Nathan Perkins praised several individual performances while acknowledging the need for better shot-making.
“I thought Spencer McCready gave us a lift off the bench. Eli crashed the boards tonight pretty well. Ethan played a good game, and Drew was aggressive,” Perkins said. “We could have used a couple more shots falling, but our second-half effort was really good.”
The Trojans (1-2) will look to bounce back and return to the win column in their next outing on Friday, December 12th when they host Washington for their second conference game.
