LEES CREEK — Leesburg Fairfield opened the second half with a 13-2 run and never looked back in beating East Clinton 69-44 in the season opener for both teams.

“We had to establish our game and our season in this first game, and the kids went out played pretty tough and took it to them,” Fairfield head coach Everett Snyder said. “I told the kids we had to come out and win the third quarter, and if we did, we’d win the game.”

The Lions came our roaring in the first half, too, scoring the first eight points of the game. Wyatt Evans, who had a team-high 17 points, had a hand in all of them with three buckets and an assist.

EC’s Wyatt Floyd, who had a game-high 20 points, responded with the Astros’ first seven points to pull his squad within 10-7.

The teams traded runs, including 7-1 to start the second quarter to set the score at 24-19 at the 5:09 mark of the period.

The Astros hit two big threes in the final two minutes of the half to cut Fairfield’s advantage to 32-30. EC, which never led in the game, had an opportunity to knot the score heading into the intermission.

“I was happy with our effort in the first half, but in the second half we took some ill-advised shots and they got some runouts. The next thing you know, we’re down 10 or 12, and it didn’t get any better,” EC head coach Tony Berlin said.

SUMMARY

December 2, 2016

@East Clinton High School

Fairfield 69 East Clinton 44

F 16.18.23.12…..69

E 11.21.07.05…..44

(69) FAIRFIELD (fg-ft-tp) Gragg 3-1-7, Walker 2-0-6, Daulton 6-1-14, Current 4-0-8, Evans 8-1-17, Setty 0-0-0, Lamb 0-0-0, Cain 4-1-9, Ayres 4-0-8, Beatty 0-0-0, Drabik 0-0-0, Bentley 0-0-0. Total 31-4-69. 3-point goals: 3 (Walker 2, Daulton). FTM-FTA 4-9, 44 percent.

(44) EAST CLINTON (fg-ft-tp) Vadnais 2-1-5, McCarren 4-0-8, Floyd 6-6-20, Cameron 4-1-11, Jenkins 0-0-0, Pence 0-0-0, M. Mitchell 0-0-0, Michael 0-0-0, Logan 0-0-0, Olds 0-0-0, Z. Mitchell 0-0-0. Total 16-8-44. 3-point goals: 4 (Floyd 2, Cameron 2). FTM-FTA 8-14, 57 percent.

FIELD GOALS: EC 16-51 (Conner 4-9 Vadnais 2-3 McCarren 4-9)

3 PT FIELD GOALS: EC 4-15 (Conner 2-4 Floyd 2-7)

FREE THROWS: EC 8-14 (Floyd 6-9)

REBOUNDS: EC-28 (Conner 5 Floyd 5 Jenkins 4 Pence 4)

ASSISTS: EC-8 (Floyd 4 Jenkins 3)

STEALS: EC-6 (McCarren 3)

BLOCKED SHOTS: EC-2 (McCarren 2)

TURNOVERS: EC-12

East Clinton’s Brendon Jenkins against Fairfield. Photo by Elizabeth Clark

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/12/web1_BBK_ec_brendonJenkins_ff_byEC-1.jpgEast Clinton’s Brendon Jenkins against Fairfield. Photo by Elizabeth Clark

East Clinton’s Cameron Conner against Fairfield. Photo by Elizabeth Clark.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/12/web1_BBK_ec_cameronconner_ff_byEC-1.jpgEast Clinton’s Cameron Conner against Fairfield. Photo by Elizabeth Clark.

East Clinton’s Wyatt Floyd against Fairfield. Photo by Elizabeth Clark

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/12/web1_BBK_ec_wyattfloyd_ff_byEC-1.jpgEast Clinton’s Wyatt Floyd against Fairfield. Photo by Elizabeth Clark

East Clinton’s Wyatt Floyd against Fairfield. Photo by Meredith Robinson

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/12/web1_BBK_ec_floyd_byMR-1.jpgEast Clinton’s Wyatt Floyd against Fairfield. Photo by Meredith Robinson

East Clinton’s Wyatt Floyd. Photo by Meredith Robinson.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/12/web1_F12_ECFloyd_byMR-1.jpgEast Clinton’s Wyatt Floyd. Photo by Meredith Robinson.

East Clinton’s Wyatt Floyd (right) outhustles a Fairfield player for the ball during Friday night’s game at ECHS. The Lions won the game 69-44.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/12/web1_F12_ECFloyd2_byMR-1.jpgEast Clinton’s Wyatt Floyd (right) outhustles a Fairfield player for the ball during Friday night’s game at ECHS. The Lions won the game 69-44. Meredith Robinson | News Journal