The Falcon boys battled hard throughout Monday night’s home contest against Pilot Grove but fell 74-65 as the Tigers pulled away in the final quarter.

Pilot Grove struck first and often, taking an 8-1 lead to start the game. Fayette coach Brandon Friebe called a timeout to reset his team. It worked. Fayette’s full-court pressure and defensive effort resulted in a 19-6 run to end the first quarter. The Falcons hit three 3-pointers in that run, one each by freshman Blake Braden, senior Micah Estes, and junior Charles Alexander.

“Our effort is there; we’re playing very hard. We executed and took care of the ball better tonight, particularly early on,” coach Friebe said.

The second quarter settled into an entertaining back-and-forth battle as both teams threw their bodies across the floor, seeking an advantage. Pilot Grove took the lead with a 3-pointer, but Alexander quickly answered with a triple of his own to retake the lead. With the clock running out, the Falcons found sophomore Parker LaValley in the corner for a huge three at the buzzer, increasing Fayette’s advantage to 31-27 at the half.

The third period was more of the same, as the lead changed hands several times. Senior Kaleb Friebe scored eight of Fayette’s first nine points in the second half. Alexander then hit a free throw to tie the game at 44 with just a few minutes remaining in the quarter. Pilot Grove then finished the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 50-44 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We’re asking a lot of our players, old and young,” said Coach Friebe. “Defensively, we’re pretty good. We need to keep improving our court vision, decision-making, and putting the ball in the bucket when we get good looks.”

The final period belonged to Pilot Grove, which built its lead to 18. Fayette never quit and ended the game on a 16-9 run, featuring eight points from senior Kevin De La Torre. But time ran out, and the Falcons lost 74-65.

Alexander led the Falcons with 19 points, including four three-pointers. De La Torre and Braden were also in double figures with 10 points.

The Falcons continue to strive for their first win of the season. They travel to former conference foe Slater on Wednesday evening to face an athletic Wildcat five. On Friday, Fayette will face Belle in the first game of the Mid-Missouri Invitational at Harrisburg. Tipoff is at 4:30 p.m. 

The Falcons travel to North Callaway on Monday but return to their home court on Tuesday to open their first-ever Central State 8 Conference season against New Bloomfield.