The Fayetteville Academy Eagles's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 37-30 defeat to Halifax Academy. Fayetteville Academy lost against Halifax Academy in their previous head to head back in November of 2023, too, but the margin this time around was much wider than the 45-38 score last time.
Despite the loss, Fayetteville Academy still got an impressive performance from Riley Duchon, who scored 15 points. Polly Miller was another key contributor, scoring seven points.
Halifax Academy found their leader in underclassman Hayden Barlow, who scored 13 points along with eight assists. Those eight assists set a new season-high mark for her. Another player making a difference was Payton Odom, who scored nine points along with five rebounds.
Fayetteville Academy's defeat was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 3-7. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 29.7 points per game. As for Halifax Academy, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-7.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Fayetteville Academy is on the road again on Tuesday and play against St. David's at 5:30 p.m. on January 9th. St. David's presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Fayetteville Academy in North Carolina (St. David's is ranked 149th, while Fayetteville Academy is ranked 390th). As for Halifax Academy, they will head out on the road to face off against Kerr-Vance Academy at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
