LANCASTER — With first place in the Mid-State League–Buckeye Division on the line, Circleville delivered a statement performance Saturday night, rolling past Fairfield Union 56–33 in front of a packed crowd on Feb. 7.
Both teams entered the matchup with one league loss, and the Falcons’ home gym is often a tough environment for visiting teams. But Circleville senior guard Kole Nungester made sure the atmosphere never became a factor.
Nungester, a four-year varsity starter with more than 80 career games under his belt, set the tone immediately. He scored 13 points in the opening quarter, silencing the crowd as the Tigers jumped out to a commanding early lead they would not relinquish.
Circleville led 19–9 after one quarter and 29–13 at halftime, fueled by strong defense and efficient offense. Fairfield Union struggled to find a rhythm, committing 10 turnovers in the first half and shooting just 5-of-16 from the field over the opening two quarters, including 1-of-8 in the second quarter.
The Tigers continued to pull away in the second half, extending the lead to 46–23 heading into the fourth quarter. Circleville cruised the rest of the way to secure the decisive conference victory.
Nungester finished with a game-high 23 points, knocking down four three-pointers and going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. With the win, Circleville improved to 15–2 overall and 8–1 in the MSL, while Fairfield Union dropped to 12–5 overall and 7–2 in league play. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in 10 days.
For Fairfield Union, Mason Ailes led the way with 12 points. Keaton Webb added seven points and four rebounds, Asa Kline chipped in six points and eight rebounds, and Drake DeFazio scored six points off the bench.
