The shorthanded Lady Falcons had no trouble dispatching Slater by 50 points in their first home game of the season Thursday night. Fayette won 76-26, even with two bench players out with illness.

Slate scored first on an inbounds pass 30 seconds into the game. Buy Fayette freshman Addy Gibbs answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to give her team a lead it would never relinquish.

Moments later, Fayette led 15-2 in what would be a one-sided contest. Slater scored 11 points in the first quarter but was held to single digits for the remainder of the game, including a one-point third quarter.

 "I thought we did a good job," said Fayette coach Daryl Betts. It's the first home game, and we hadn't been shooting the ball from the three very well in the first half, just being on the road so much."

Betts said he planned to take control of the game from long distance, with plays designed to set up Gibbs for 3-point shots.

"I was like, 'Hey, it's your birthday, Gibbs. Let's get 15 threes.' And she made two in a row."

Gibbs finished with 10 points on the night after driving in for a couple of layups in the third quarter.

Leading the way for Fayette was Oakleigh Hill. The junior posted a game-high 16 points with a 3-pointer in the second quarter and 5-for-10 free-throw shooting.

Fellow junior KeBrea Fair established her presence in the lane, banking 14 points, 12 of which came in the first half. Sophomore Browyn Eubanks posted 11 points, eight of which were scored in the first half.

Freshman Paige Vroman picked up seven points off the bench, all in the second quarter, sinking a 3-pointer and finishing with a perfect 4-for-4 performance from the line. Senior Maddox Well also had seven points with a 3-point shot in the third quarter.

Senior Kay Sullivan finished with six points and ruled the defensive paint with multiple rebounds and blocked shots.

Nearly a third of Slater's points came from the charity stripe. The Lady Wildcats made seven of eight free throws in the first half as Fayette's aggressive style of play put players in early foul trouble.

Only one Lady Wildcat finished in double figures. Junior Madison Prysock paced Slater with 10 points. Senior Tanlea Grimes added eight points on 6-for-10 free-throw shooting.

Thursday's game was Fayette's first of the year on its home court after opening the season with six away games, including three at the Glasgow Tournament and a game at Mizzou Arena. The Lady Falcons entered the Fayette gym with a 5-2 record that included a consolation trophy.

The Lady Falcons remain at home until the Christmas break. On Monday, they host conference opponent Scotland County and finish up the semester with a home bout against Paris on Wednesday.

"We broke the seal at home. We did a good job. Now we're going to come into it and play Paris and Scotland. We have a chance to go 8-2 as we walk out of this semester, and then go to a New Franklin tournament with some confidence and just keep playing tough."

Fayette earned the top seed at the New Franklin Tournament, which opens on Saturday, December 30. The Lady Falcons take on Bunceton Prairie Home at 12:30 on the opening day before breaking for the New Year. A win could set up a third game against district rival New Franklin in the championship semifinals on January 3.