LEESBURG — It’s nice to have a fully healthy roster to choose from, regardless of the sport.
But East Clinton girls basketball coach Bill Bean is happy he can count on players down the roster when situations arise.
Playing for the injured Kami Whiteaker, Megan Tong had 12 points and Jayden Murphy scorched the nets for 24 as East Clinton defeated Fairfield 58-53 Monday.
The win puts East Clinton at 13-2 on the year. Fairfield falls to 12-4, Bean said.
“Megan Tong had a big game for us,” Bean said. “She’s playing for Kami, who’s still out with her ankle. Megan did a good job defensively.”
East Clinton played seven in the win. Libby Evanshine (12 points, 12 rebounds) and Jordan Collom (six points, eight defensive rebounds, eight assists) put up their steady numbers.
But Murphy matched her career high and kept East Clinton in the game earlier.
Fairfield hit nine three-pointers, including four by leading scorer Peyton Magee. She had 21 points and led the way for a big first quarter by the homestanding Lions.
Magee scored eight and Kassie Miller hit a couple of threes as the Lions led 20-19 after one quarter. Murphy also had eight in the opening frame.
“Jayden is starting to shoot it well,” Bean said, noting Murphy made three of five three-pointers on the night.
The Astros and Lions were tied at 33-33 at halftime then the Astros were clinging to a 44-43 lead after three.
Faith Donley had seven points for the Lions in the fourth but Murphy was money from the line, hitting six of eight in the fourth to keep East Clinton on top.
SUMMARY
Jan 16, 2023
@Fairfield High School
East Clinton 58 Fairfield 53
EC^19^14^11^14^^58
LF^20^13^10^10^^53
(58) EAST CLINTON (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Collom 2-0-2-6 Tong 5-2-0-12 Evanshine 6-0-0-12 Jones 2-0-0-4 Murphy 7-3-7-24 Stonewall 0-0-0-0 Hadley 0-0-0-0 TOTALS 22-5-9/13-58
(53) FAIRFIELD (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Hattan 0-0-0-0 Donley 6-2-2-16 Magee 8-4-1-21 Miller 2-2-0-6 Hamilton 3-1-1-8 Trent 0-0-0-0 Tolle 1-0-0-2 TOTALS 20-9-4/9-53
FIELD GOALS: EC (22-47) Evanshine 6-10 Murphy 7-12 Tong 5-8
3 PT FIELD GOALS: EC (5-12) Murphy 3-5
FREE THROWS: EC (9-13) Murphy 7-10
REBOUNDS: EC-29 (Evanshine 12, Collom 8, Murphy 6, Stonewall 2, Tong 1)
ASSISTS: EC-18 (Collom 8, Evanshine 3, Stonewall 3, Jones 2, Murphy 2)
STEALS: EC-2 (Murphy 2)
BLOCKS: EC-1 (Evanshine)
TURNOVERS: EC-10