FAIRMONT — Coming into Friday’s matchup, Fairmont was just 1/2 game ahead of Red Springs in the boys Three Rivers Conference standings.
Powered by three starters in double figures, the Golden Tornadoes used a powerful start to pace a 68-54 victory over the Red Devils at home.
Since Fairmont (9-12, 8-7 TRC) forward Dwayne Davis entered the lineup, the team has reeled off three straight wins. Davis had 16 points and six rebounds. His three-point play with 1:15 left in the first quarter gave the team a 15-11 lead with just over a minute to go.
His combination of ball-handling and strength in the open floor, posed matchup problems for the defense. He capped a 7-1 run in the third quarter that blew the game open, 40-23.
Forward Jayvon Morris ended with a game-high 25 points and grabbed six rebounds. After the Red Devils had taken their only lead of the contest early in the opening period, he powered a 6-0 run that put the Golden Tornadoes back on top, 12-7 with 2:38 to go. Waltay Jackson finished with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds and helped them take a 33-22 advantage at the half.
Red Springs (7-13, 7-9 TRC) forward Correll Love ended 10 points and seven rebounds and guard Jaylen Mack added eight points. Mack and the other Red Devils guards turned up the pressure in the backcourt in the late stages of the third and went on a 12-2 run as they crept within single digits, 49-37.
The Red Devils would fail to get closer in the fourth and surrendered their 27th straight loss to the Golden Tornadoes.
Fairmont travels to East Columbus on Tuesday, meanwhile, Red Springs returns home to face league-leading West Columbus.
Lady Red Devils extend Lady Tornadoes losing streak
Behind 20 points and seven rebounds from Taylynn Atkinson, the Red Springs girls basketball pulled away in the second half to grab a 53-42 road victory over Fairmont.
The Lady Tornadoes were led by Georgiana Waters’ 11 points and took a one-point halftime advantage, 28-27. But Atkinson and guard Winter Chavis helped lead an 11-1 charge in the third quarter that put the Lady Red Devils up 39-29 heading to the fourth.
Chavis finished with 14 points and hit a corner jumpshot to stretch the lead, 41-29, in the fourth quarter. Atkinson put in a baseline shot with just over four minutes to make it 45-34.
Jalexis Bratcher added 11 points.
With the win, the Lady Red Devils (9-12, 8-8 TRC) evened their record in the Three Rivers Conference and face West Columbus on Tuesday, while the Lady Tornadoes (0-20, 0-16 TRC) remain winless on the year with two more games left to pick up their first win.
