PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Beachy pours in four triples as 3A No. 8 Fairfield tops 2A No. 6 Bremen
· Yahoo Sports
BENTON — Showing an ability to get the ball inside and onto the scoreboard, Fairfield prevailed Tuesday, Feb. 17 in a non-conference clash of top-10 boys basketball teams on the Falcons’ court.
Visit chickenroadslot.lat for more information.
Class 3A No. 8 Fairfield (14-3) earned a 64-54 victory over Class 2A No. 6 Bremen (18-2). It’s the Falcons seventh-consecutive victory.
“I think they were in the top 10 in the state for defensive average,” said Falcons coach Brodie Garber of a Lions’ team that had been holding opponents to 38.5 points per game. “I did not expect to put up 64 and give up 54. We had been averaging (40.6 on defense).
“Both teams had more of an offensive night than defensive, but we’ll take it.”
Fairfield and Bremen were top-11 in the state in scoring-defense heading into the game, but both sides agreed that offense was the difference.
“What we usually do best is defend,” Bremen coach Matt Miller said. “Tonight was our worst defensive night of the year. Fairfield’s very, very good. They are very physical and we did not respond at all.”
Points for Fairfield were scored by junior Drew Beachy (18 — nine in each half), senior Ben Kio (12 — eight in the second half), sophomore Parker Smith (10 — six in the first half), senior Matthew Holsopple (9 — seven in the first half), sophomore Koltyn Frye (7 — four in the first half), senior Brant Garber (5 — three in the second half) and senior Brady Park (3). Beachy (4), Frye (1) and Garber (1) connected on 3-pointers.
“Holsopple and Kio combined going inside a little bit,” Brodie Garber said. “Kio was super-aggressive tonight.”
Adding to the scoresheet for the Lions were junior Chase Devine (18 — 10 in the fourth quarter), senior Hartley Mitole (14 — nine in the first half), junior Riley Tener (14 — nine in the second half), freshman Espen Simpson (4), senior Maddux Hickman (2) and junior Bryce Miller (2). There were 3’s for Devine (4), Mitole (4), Tener (1) and Simpson (1).
The Falcons made 20-of-36 shots from the floor and 18-of-21 from the foul line while Bremen was 20-of-45 and 4-of-5.
Led by Frye (9), Fairfield grabbed 23 rebounds. Topped by Tener (6), Bremen gathered 16.
The Falcons committed 10 turnovers and the Lions six.
Fairfield took a 46-30 advantage into the fourth quarter. That was the biggest spread of the third period.
The lead went as high as 18 in the fourth period at 48-30 and 49-31 and the Lions got as close as seven at 61-54.
The Falcons led 16-13 at the end of the first quarter and held its biggest lead of the first half at 26-13. Fairfield was up 34-24 at halftime.
In first-half shooting, the Falcons were 13-of-25 from the floor and 5-or-5 from the free throw stripe while Bremen was 8-of-20 and 2-of-2.
Fairfield has now won seven straight and are 9-1 at home. The lone loss in Benton came Jan. 23 against 2A No. 3 Westview (66-52).
The Falcons won 47-43 at Bremen Feb. 18, 2025.
Before Tuesday, the only team to beat Bremen in 2025-26 was Elkhart (54-53 in overtime on Feb. 7 at North Side Gym).