The Fayette girls lost their home debut Friday night in a hard-fought game against Class 3 Macon, 57-50. The Lady Falcons fall to 2-4 on the season overall.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to compete against larger schools. Macon is well-coached, and games like this will help us as we move into the rest of the season,” said first-year Fayette coach Rachel Harding.

The back-and-forth first quarter featured five lead changes and a tie, with Macon taking a 12-11 lead. Fayette came out strong in the second quarter, pulling ahead on a 9-3 run to take a 20-15 lead and forcing Macon to take a timeout. Fayette senior guard Oakleigh Hill scored the last seven points of that run. Macon cut the lead before the half, but the Lady Falcons held a 22-21 advantage at the break.

The third period belonged to the Lady Tigers, who banked four 3-pointers to go on a 20-8 quarter-long run, which led to a commanding 41-30 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“We lacked some ball safety, which often leads to fouls, and that hurt us later in the game,” Harding said.

Fayette was not done. Using full-court pressure, they jumped back into the game with several steals and quick buckets, cutting the lead to four, 39-43. Macon took better care of the ball and still clung to a 48-52 advantage with over a minute left. 

The Lady Falcons fouled to extend the game, and Macon hit enough of their free throws down the stretch to secure the 57-50 win.

“This was a winnable game, but also one we will continue to improve from,” said Harding. “I’m excited to compete in the New Franklin Tournament next week, and we’ll see what we’re made of.”

Oakleigh Hill led the way for the Falcons with a game-high 21 points. Senior KeBrea Fair and freshman Eastin Hill each added nine.

The fourth-seeded Lady Falcons will take on Prairie Home, the fifth seed, at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the old gym to open the New Franklin Tournament.

 All first-round games were postponed due to the weather.