The shorthanded Fayette girls could not withstand the pressure and physicality of a galvanized Westran team Tuesday night, falling 45-32 in the first round of Class 2 District 7 play in New Franklin.

Fayette, seeded fourth, had beaten fifth-seeded and conference rival Westran twice in the regular season, the last time by 24 points just three weeks prior. But on Tuesday, Westran had Fayette’s number.

The Lady Hornets turned their excitement and determination into an all-out physical assault between the baselines that shocked a Fayette team that was without one of its two seniors.

The absence of feisty point guard Preslee Sunderland was undeniably felt. The senior could not play due to illness in what would become the final game of her high school career.

“We had a very strong game plan coming into the game,” said Fayette coach Daryl Betts. “Westran played the same style as the past games. We were just unfortunate to have one of our senior leaders, also one of our main ball handlers, out of the game.”

Westran took a lead right out of the gate on a 3-pointer by Kharigan Fuemmeler. The lead would hold until the final buzzer sounded. Junior Maddox Wells answered with a shot on Fayette’s next possession to cut the lead to one point, but Fayette would never get any closer.

After trading blows throughout the first quarter, Westran emerged with a 9-7 lead.

The Lady Hornets then held Fayette to just one field goal for the rest of the first half. Fayette converted two of four free-throw chances in the top half of the second quarter but repeatedly turned the ball over and could not get a shot to fall. Finally, a 3-point shot by junior Addison Powell swished through the net with 17 seconds left in the first half to end the drought. Westran, however, managed to score throughout the sloppy second quarter, building a double-digit lead. By halftime, it was the Lady Hornets in front 22-12.

The Falcons also found themselves in early foul trouble, hobbling their already shorthanded lineup.

“The girls took a little while to get their footing and comply with the style of game that was being played,” Betts explained. “It was a very physical game, and at times it’s hard to coach them to play that style when you spend most of the season trying to tell them hands off. But we fought hard through some adversity and had kids step up with hustle to keep us in the game until the end.”

Westran outscored Fayette 6-2 in the opening minutes of the third quarter on a pair of 3-pointers to increase its lead to 14 points. But Fayette put together a quick run in the final three minutes of the quarter. Freshman Browyn Eubanks sparked the offense with a 3-pointer, followed by a bucket from Wells. With half a minute to play in the period, Eubanks made a steal at mid-court and got the ball to senior Hannah Quint, who drove in for a layup to cut the deficit to 11 points at the end of the third quarter.

Fayette continued to chip away in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Melissa Innes closed the gap to five points with a 3-point shot off the glass with 5:35 remaining. But the turnovers and fouls continued to pile up. Fayette would score just one more basket, a basket from the paint by junior Kay Sullivan. Meanwhile, Westran converted 10 of 15 free-throw chances over the final five minutes to clinch the upset.

Betts said he thought that 3-pointer from Inness might have been the spark his team needed. “I thought, at that moment, we might be able to catch some magic in a bottle. We played a little not like ourselves and didn’t see the game as one possession at a time. We got a little loose with the ball, but the girls competed and made it a game with time left, and it just wasn’t in the cards.”

Quint led Fayette with six points, all scored in the second half. Powell, Wells, and Inness each posted five points, followed by Sullivan and Wells with four and sophomore Skylar Sunderland with three. The Falcons sank just three of nine free-throw chances, compared to 12 of 22 for Westran.

“Addison Powell and Browyn Eubanks worked their tails off trying to do what they could in defense to keep us in the game,” Betts said. “Skylar Sunderland and Kay Sullivan played with heart and strength to give us opportunities to get closer and work hard.”

Senior Dylan Perry paced Westran with a game-high 13 points, followed by freshman Jaelyn Miller with 12. The Lady Hornets will face first-seeded Salisbury, which earned a first-round bye. The Lady Panthers have dominated the area all season with a 17-8 overall record.

For Fayette, the season concludes with a .500 overall record. The Falcons were not only in pursuit of their first postseason win since 2020 but were pushing for their first winning record since 2012. Instead, Fayette will settle for finishing even at 13-13 overall.

“The girls finished the game and had looks of despair that the season ended in the fashion it did, but they were not disappointed in what they have accomplished and how much they had grown,” Betts said. “Our season came to an end tonight, but these girls’ efforts and success from this past season have reignited the Fayette Lady Falcon program.”

Fayette bids farewell to seniors Hannah Quint and Preslee Sunderland but will return a strong group of underclassmen led by eight juniors.

“The positive note is we know where we are and what we need to improve upon for next year,” Betts said. “We lose two excellent players and leaders, but we return a larger cast of contributors than the previous year. I feel like we are in a good place and one that if we keep working hard, we can become a conference and district competitor next year and in the years to come.”