Fairfield punched its ticket to the 4A State Championship Game with a hard-fought 61-57 win over Deshler in the semifinal matchup.
The victory sends Fairfield to the state title game on Friday, where the Tigers will have an opportunity to play for the 4A Blue Map.
Fairfield Head Coach Maurice Ford didn’t hide his frustration following the semifinal win. In his postgame press conference, he opened by saying, “I am disappointed in how we played and finished this basketball game.” Ford pointed specifically to missed free throws down the stretch and moments where his team failed to recognize Deshler’s key players late in possessions. Still, he acknowledged the win and vowed those issues would be corrected before Friday’s state championship matchup.
The game itself was played at a very high level on both ends of the floor.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with six ties and seven lead changes, and neither team held a lead of more than 4 points. Both teams also had separate 7-0 runs as momentum swung repeatedly.
Statistically, it looked like Fairfield controlled the half, which likely added to Coach Ford’s frustration. The Tigers forced eight turnovers, scored eight points off those takeaways, dominated the paint 16-2, and won the fast break battle 10-3. Despite those advantages, Fairfield went into the locker room trailing 29-27.
Deshler stayed in front by shooting extremely well from deep, going 7-16 from three and 8-19 from the field overall in the first half.
The second half continued the heavyweight fight. Deshler remained efficient from the perimeter, hitting 5-11 from three after halftime, but struggled to string together defensive stops. Every time the Tigers made a push, Fairfield responded.
Fairfield was incredibly efficient offensively in the second half, shooting 74% from the floor (14-19). However, the door stayed open because of free throws. The Tigers shot just 40% from the line (6-15), allowing Deshler to remain within striking distance until the final moments.
In the end, Fairfield did just enough to close out the 61-57 win and advance to the state championship game.
2026 MJ Jones led the Tigers with a dominant offensive performance. Jones started the game on fire, opening 6-7 from the field and 1-1 from three for 13 early points. He finished with 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks while shooting 10-13 from the floor and 1-2 from three.
2027 Eric Williams orchestrated the offense with 13 points and 8 assists while committing zero turnovers, providing steady control throughout the game.
2026 Carlos Scroggins Jr. added 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 4-6 from the field.
2026 Garrett Reid led Deshler with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, keeping the Tigers within reach throughout the game.
2026 Landon Frazier contributed 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
2027 Jay Muner knocked down four three-pointers, finishing with 12 points on 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
2026 Everette Minshew chipped in 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 3-6 from the floor and 2-5 from three.
• Six ties and seven lead changes in the first half
• Fairfield dominated paint scoring 16-2 in the first half
• Deshler kept pace with strong three-point shooting (12 total made threes)
• Fairfield shot 74% from the field in the second half (14-19)
• Free throws kept the game tight — Fairfield just 6-15 from the line
Even in a win, Coach Maurice Ford made it clear that the standard inside the Fairfield program remains high.
The Tigers were efficient offensively and showed resilience in a tightly contested semifinal, but missed opportunities at the free-throw line and defensive recognition issues left their coach wanting more.
Still, Fairfield did what championship-caliber teams must do — find a way to win.
Now the Tigers advance to Friday’s 4A State Championship Game, where they will face the winner of Jackson vs. Ashville with the 4A Blue Map on the line.
