For Fair Grove girls basketball, beating Strafford is still taking some getting used to

Watching from the bleachers years ago, Ashton Bell and her current Fair Grove teammates saw the Eagles constantly come out on the losing end against Strafford.

Strafford, amid one of the greatest dynasties the state has ever seen, was unbeatable. Thirteen-straight defeats to their rivals down the road, including four losses in the postseason, saw great teams in purple come out on the losing end. It was hard for the future Eagles to watch.

"It made us feel sick to our stomach," Bell said.

Bell, now a junior, and her teammates used that as motivation as they set out on their high school careers. After Friday night's Class 3, District 11 championship, they've now won four straight games against their rivals and have flipped the script as they inch closer to trying to start a dynasty of their own.

More: Fair Grove girls' basketball wants target on back as it hopes to repeat as state champions

"Getting to fulfill what they weren't able to do feels really great," Bell said. "I wouldn't say it feels normal now. We want to keep working but it's starting to feel natural."

Fair Grove's 68-38 win over Strafford has the Eagles in the Class 3 sectionals where they will play Clever for a trip to the quarterfinals. The two played on Jan. 22 in Fair Grove where the Eagles won 75-54.

The Eagles are seeking their second state championship in a row after last season was their first title in the school's history. Class 3 hasn't had a repeat champion since Strafford won five consecutive titles from 2016-20.

A four-game winning streak for the Eagles over their rivals has included a pair of district championship victories over the last two years.

"We're a little more experienced and we know what it takes to win these games," Bell said. "We just have more knowledge going into them and we're just ready to go."

Fair Grove started the game on an 8-0 run and didn't allow Strafford to score until more than halfway into the first quarter. Strafford climbed back in the game at multiple points throughout the first half but Fair Grove seemingly always had a counter punch.

A 10-point game at halftime, Bell hit a pair of 3's in the third quarter to break it open. Great shooting from the charity stripe and the emergence of Eagles post players allowed them to end the game with a running clock and the 30-point statement.

"They're special," first-year head coach Gary Greene said. "Everybody told me that before I came here. We played with confidence and I just told them that I wanted them to be competitive and keep their composure and they did that. They're hungry and they love winning and that's what makes them special."

Abbey Green finished the game with 14 points with Brooke Daniels adding 15. Bell had seven with Camdyn Hart scoring 10. Their top four scorers were all juniors showing that Fair Grove isn't going anywhere any time soon.

Whether it be another deep postseason run or more wins over Strafford in the future, the Eagles appear to just be getting started.

"This was our district championship and we knew that if we wanted to get to state, we would have to put in all we have," Bell said. "We didn't want it to be our seniors' last game. We just put our best effort in."

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Fair Grove girls basketball beats Strafford in district championship