For the first four minutes of Thursday’s game against Helias at Mizzou Arena, the Fayette High School Lady Falcons played their best basketball of the season. But the Class 5 Lady Crusaders were too much to be contained and finished the game on top 76-31.

For Class 2 Fayette, the game was not about winning or losing. It was about the experience of playing on the state’s most revered hardwood, Norm Stewart Court, inside Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

Fayette competed early in the game, taking a four-point lead, but was ultimately no match for a Class 5 team that starts five six-footers and boasted back-to-back 20-plus win seasons.

“It was a great experience. It was awesome,” said Fayette coach Daryl Betts. “We’re at the state venue. We got the chance to play on this court before we had to. Now we’re set up for bigger moments.

“The band sounded great, and the cheerleaders were awesome. And we had a great community following.”

Helias won the tipoff, but on the Crusaders’ first possession, Fayette junior Oakleigh intercepted a pass and drove down for a left-handed layup. 

A minute later, Hill scored again, this time from inside the paint, to give the Lady Falcons a 4-0 lead over the Class 5 behemoth. 

But Fayette struggled against Helias’s full-court press.

“Not only were they all big, but they were all fast,” Betts said.

Not only was Helias tenacious with its press, but the longer college court proved to be another challenge for Fayette. 

“Doing it against a practice squad versus doing it against an athletic specimen like Helias was different. And the court is bigger. So, you can’t just zip the ball along. We just couldn’t get over the hump with it.”

Helias quickly tied the game, but Fayette hung around. Under the basket, junior KeBrea Fair scored to put Fayette back in front, 6-4.

After a series of 3-point shots by Helias bounced away from the rim, the Lady Crusaders finally sank one to take a 7-6 lead.

Fayette came right back, and a minute later, senior Maddox Wells drove inside, made a move, and sank laid in a shot to go up 8-7 with 3:33 left in the first period.

That would be all the scoring for Fayette in the first quarter. Helias finished out the period on a 7-0 to take a 14-8 lead after eight minutes.

“The first four minutes of the game was Fayette basketball. Then it became Helias’s game,” Betts said.

Helias owned the court for the rest of the game, taking a lopsided win.

Wells led Fayette with eight points, followed by seven from Fair and six from sophomore Browyn Eubanks, along with a team-high seven rebounds.

Hill’s opening four points would be all for the starting junior, who also brought down four rebounds.

Fayette got a boost from its freshmen. Addie Gibbs connected on a 3-pointer. And Paige Vroman came off the bench and scored three points, all from the free-throw line.

“Paige did really well. I told her to play like it’s eighth grade, don’t play like it’s high school and pick the ball up. She came in, and she gave us a great lift.”

Betts said his team will build on those opening four minutes as he hopes to put together a strong season, starting Tuesday with a game at rival Harrisburg. 

“We just have to continue to play our game. Play tough and grow, and be ready for Harrisburg on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game was played after the Advertiser went to press. Fayette opens a three-game home stand with a bout against Slater at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Next week, the Lady Falcons host two Lewis & Clark Conference games: Scotland County on Monday and Paris on Wednesday.

It was revealed on Monday that Fayette will hold the top seed at the New Franklin Tournament which opens on Saturday, December 30. The Lady Falcons will take on Bunceton/Prairie Home at 12:30 p.m.

The tournament breaks for the New Year’s holiday and resumes on Tuesday, January 3, 2024. An opening-round win would pit Fayette against either fourth-seeded New Franklin or fifth-seeded Community at 6 p.m. on January 3 in the championship semifinals.