LANCASTER — A year ago, the Fairfield Union girls basketball team had a historic year, finishing the regular season undefeated for the first time in school history.
The Falcons went on an epic tournament run, reaching the Final Four, and finished with a 27-1 overall record. Fairfield Union certainly lost a lot of talent to graduation, but the fact that they know what it takes to win can’t be underestimated.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJust like last season, the Falcons will rely on an in-your-face, full-court, pressure defense, and that was on full display in a nonconference game against visiting Chillicothe on Dec. 1.
Fairfield Union forced 14 turnovers in the first quarter and raced out to a big lead in a dominating 54-14 victory to improve to 2-0.
More: ‘They are legends’: What a ride the Fairfield Union girls basketball team took us on
Fairfield Union's Maddi Mitchell and Taylor Smeck trap Chillicothe's Nia Brown during a nonconference game Dec. 1, 2025. The Falcons won 54-14.“Getting these first two wins is great because it enabled us to ease into the season before we start league play,” said junior guard Maddi Mitchell, who played a key role off the bench a year ago. “I feel like a lot of people think we are going to have a down year, so having that kind of fire lit under us is great. I am looking forward to this team making its mark. We are all bought in when it comes to playing defense, and we understand that defense is going to win us games. If we can’t hold a team under 40, we won’t win.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Falcons’ defense came out and suffocated the Cavaliers in the first quarter, and oftentimes, made it hard for them to even get the ball past halfcourt. Several of the turnovers led to easy layups, and when the dust settled, they had built a 21-2 first-quarter lead.
Fairfield Union and Chillicothe players wait for the ball to come down from the rim, but it remained stuck during their nonconference game on Dec. 1, 2025. The Falcons won 54-14.“We are going to play like we did last year,” Fairfield Union coach Keith Barr said. “We are going to play hard and try to play harder than the other team, and that’s been our motto since I’ve been here. If a team beats us, they beat us, but we are going to play hard. Just like last year, the girls have been awesome, and they have bought in. It’s not perfect yet, but we will keep building and do what we do. We have a lot of new faces, so it’s big to get these two wins under our belt.”
Overall, the Falcons forced 34 turnovers and had a running clock midway through the third quarter when their lead ballooned to 41-10.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMitchell led the Falcons with 18 points and four assists. Senior Taylor Smeck added 14 points, including a 4 of 4 showing at the free throw line, five rebounds and two assists. Emma Spillers chipped in six points, and junior Kaeda Miller dished out six assists.
Cadie Boltenhouse led the Cavaliers (1-2) with eight points and eight rebounds and she went 4-for-4 at the free throw line.
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at [email protected] for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Fairfield Union’s suffocating defense overwhelms Chillicothe
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