A four-minute lapse to open the third quarter likely cost the Fayette boys the win in what was measurably their best performance of the season on Monday night against a sizable North Callaway team. Fayette went into halftime up by three, but let the Thunderbirds back into the game early in the second half, eventually falling 64-54 at home on Pink Out night.

Despite the 10-point difference in the end, the game was much closer all night. North Callaway held the advantage as time was running out and made seven of eight free-throw chances down the stretch to claim the hard-fought victory.

“I’m really proud of our guys. Nobody is more worn out from the moral victories than this team. But we were playing a bigger school with a winning record that has played a lot of tough schools. On paper, that’s a game we probably should’ve lost by 25 points,” said Fayette coach Brandon Friebe after the game.

Fayette has struggled to get into the win column this season as the rebuilding process under Coach Friebe stretches into its second year. Fayette’s only win of the season came in the semifinals of the New Franklin Tournament, 51-30, over Community. The Falcons have lost four games by five points or less.

“We played good basketball for 28 minutes. We have to fix the first four minutes of the third quarter. If we do that, some of these games are going to start going our way,” Friebe said. “Historically, we’ve had issues coming out in the second half flat.”

The Falcons fell behind by eight points at the end of the first quarter. North Callaway may have had a significant size advantage, but the Thunderbirds dealt the most damage from the arc. Senior guard Austin Brown sank four of his six 3-pointers in the first quarter, scoring 12 of his team’s 20 points in the opening period.

North Callaway increased its lead to 11 points early in the second, but the Falcons responded. Senior Charles Alexander sank back-to-back threes during an 11-2 run that culminated with a game-tying bucket from senior forward Payton Oeth. Fayette also took advantage of a personnel change when, with 5:22 left in the first half, 6’5 Jamarian Glover was relegated to the bench with three fouls.

Alexander scored five more points to close the second quarter, another big three and two free throws, bookending a shot by junior Parker LaValley to go up by five. A final shot at the buzzer by North Callaway senior Zac Craghead cut the margin to three points at the half.

Despite trailing at the break, North Callaway surged ahead in the third quarter, opening the half with a game-tying 3-pointer from Brown, then scoring six straight points to take a two-possession lead.

Just as the game appeared to be slipping from Fayette’s fingers, LaValley stepped up with back-to-back threes to tie the game at 40 apiece and reignite Fayette’s offense.

“Those are high-pressure moments that weren’t bigger than him,” Friebe said. “Tonight, he just stepped up with confidence and hit those threes. Those are moments that test your mental toughness, and he passed the test tonight for sure.”

Eventually, North Callaway closed out the third quarter with eight straight points to take a lead they would never surrender. A 6-2 run by the Thunderbirds to start the fourth quarter all but put the game out of reach. LaValley sank another triple with 1:43 remaining to cut the lead to six. But North Callaway sank their clutch free throws in the end to walk off the court with the 10-point victory.

“Tonight, that game was closer than 10 points. They made a lot of free throws at the end of the game. Our guys put themselves in a position to win,” Friebe said. “We’re trying to reframe success for this team. Right now, our goal is to come out every night and make people miserable.”

Alexander finished with a team-high 22 points, netting four 3-point baskets and going 6-for-7 from the line.

“If he can stay out of foul trouble, we’re a better ball club. And the last two nights, he’s done exactly that. And we have been a better ball club,” Friebe said. “He shot the ball very well tonight. But I think more than anything, I was really pleased with his decision-making and how he and Colten [Cross] worked together to run our offense tonight.”

LaValley sank four 3-point shots and finished with 14 points. It was a night he needed to have after struggling to make shots early in the season.

“He has an unlimited amount of potential. And nobody is harder on him than himself,” Friebe said about LaValley’s breakout night. “Tonight, he didn’t let things get to him, and he really adjusted to the mentality of the next play. I’m so proud of him and how he responded. His defensive performance tonight was so much better. He decided he was going to be a two-way player tonight, and he played a ton of minutes.”

Junior point guard Colten Cross rounded out Fayette’s double-figure scorers with 10, including a 3-pointer in the first quarter. Senior Payton Oeth added eight points, and sophomore Morgen Campbell added two.

Fayette is still without explosive sophomore Blake Braden, who has been sidelined with illness.

“We’re down a man right now with Blake being gone, and we’re fighting sickness like crazy,” Friebe said. “Payton Oeth is playing at about 80% with his ankle. We’re not going at people with a loaded arsenal. And in the end, no matter what our wins and losses are, that’s what I’m most proud of. Not quitting.”

For North Callaway, Brown led all scorers with 22 points and six 3-pointers.

Fayette, now 1-11 overall, heads into the Central State 8 Conference stretch that started at New Bloomfield (6-9) on Tuesday after the Advertiser went to press, and includes a game against Class 2 defending state champs Eugene on Feb. 6. The Falcons return home on Friday to face a struggling Linn team (3-11) for Courtwarming.

But regardless of his team’s record, Friebe looks at the conference schedule as a new beginning.

“We have to take care of business and be ready to play. It doesn’t matter what our record is right now. We go into the conference 0-0. All of the things we’re trying to overcome right now do not have to dictate the outcome of our conference season. We have to start winning the games we feel we can get, and that starts tomorrow night.”

Next week, Fayette enters a challenging Harrisburg Tournament as the eighth seed. The Falcons face top-seeded Blair Oaks at 6 p.m. on Tuesday on Coach Combs Court.