Fairfield (2-1, 1-1 GMC) led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, but the Cardinals (0-4, 0-2) slowly chipped away in the fourth, drawing within two twice in the final minute.
Trailing 40-38, Colerain missed a layup with about 12 seconds left but still had a chance at the end after Blake Spaulding made 1 of 2 free throws.
A last-effort 3-pointer from NBA range fell short for Colerain, which was looking for its second win since 2013-14.
“I told them we were going to have to make a stop to win the game,” Sims said of his conversation during the last timeout. “That last possession, we scrambled but were pretty aggressive in that scramble and got the stop we needed. And we made just enough free throws to get to that spot.
“We’re going to celebrate any GMC win, any win at all. We’re not blowing anybody out, but we’re putting people in spots they’ve never been and we’re learning. I think we’re going to have to win some of those close games to have a good record.”
The Indians got off to a slow start, falling behind by five points in the first quarter before finally seeing results from a more patient approach on offense. Andre Givens hit a 3-pointer to tie it at the buzzer to end the opening period, and the game swung in the home team’s favor after that.
Fairfield led 19-16 at halftime, but made a run in the third quarter to go up by 10 before the Cardinals battled back. Devonte Ross led the Indians with 13 points and nine rebounds, and Kyle Schimpf added nine points and five assists off the bench.
“I thought we were playing well,” Sims said. “We were getting the shots we wanted after the first quarter just chucking up our first shot or taking a lot of individuals. In the second quarter, we really hammered trusting each other and getting the shot we wanted. I thought we did that. We switched to our zone and got some stops and came out in the third quarter and did exactly what we wanted.”
Colerain’s rally attempt came in spurts in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals had the gap down to 30-28 early in the period, but Fairfield quickly responded to push its lead back to eight again.
Several turnovers, including two that helped Colerain cut a seven-point deficit to three, put the pressure on Fairfield’s defense, but the Indians stepped up and forced the Cardinals to foul.
“We went down 36-28 and we’re usually quitters, but we cut it down to two just like that,” Colerain coach Tyrone Gilbert said. “Usually I’m mad, but I’m leaving here with my head up. At the end, we had a chance to tie it. The fight is something we can build on. It’s just the little things.”
The Cardinals will visit Middletown on Friday. Fairfield hosts Kings next Tuesday.
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