Mason Pye scored 25 points, including a massive three-pointer in the final seconds, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Meridian High School boys’ basketball team over the Fauquier Falcons as they lost 64-67 on Friday night.
Fresh off a win over James Monroe on Thursday, the Meridian Mustangs were right back in action to host one of their top Northwestern District opponents. Meridian beat Fauquier 71-51 on the road back on December 12, but this time, the Falcons were ready.
It was a game of runs early on, with Meridian leading 9-4 before Fauquier went ahead 19-13 after a frame. The Mustangs battled back to outscore the Falcons 21-4 in the second period until the visitors knocked down a three-pointer in the final seconds, sending them into the intermission trailing by eight. The gap stabilized in the third, with Meridian leading 48-42 headed into the final frame.
However, Fauquier put together a late push, using an 8-0 run to take a 55-53 lead with about four minutes remaining. Meridian was able to tie it a few times thanks to some clutch Jake Bryan buckets, but the Mustangs found themselves down by four in the closing seconds. Pye hit a three and Marques Myles stole the ensuing inbounds pass to give the home team a chance, but Meridian turned it over and two more free throws by the Falcons sealed it.
“Credit to Fauquier, they played a great game,” head coach Jim Smith said postgame. “We’ve had a lot of good days and we’ll have a lot more ahead. But I guess we gave some hope to the rest of the region tonight.”
The loss is only Meridian’s second all season, dropping them to 12-2. To put the Mustangs’ recent success into even further perspective, it’s the first game they’ve dropped to a District opponent since falling at Skyline on February 5, 2024, and their first home District loss since the 2023 Regional Semifinals against William Monroe, who left the Northwestern after that year.
Will Davis added 12 points for the Mustangs and Bryan had six of his 10 in the fourth quarter. On a positive note, Meridian’s girls took the win on the road 37-24, improving to 13-1.
Next up, Meridian is scheduled to face Brentsville on Monday, but the anticipated heavy snow over the weekend may have other plans.