Fairmont High Girls Basketball Advances to Regional Final

Unbeaten Firebirds rout Newark 64-39 to reach first regional final since 2020

Mar. 4, 2026 at 3:06pm

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The undefeated Fairmont High School girls basketball team defeated Newark 64-39 in a Division I regional semifinal game on Tuesday. Senior guard Kaylah Thornton scored a game-high 23 points and set the school's career scoring record with 1,564 points, surpassing the previous mark of 1,555 held by Kathryn Westbeld. Fairmont will now play Olentangy in the regional final on Friday with a state tournament berth on the line.

Why it matters

Fairmont's victory marks the program's first regional final appearance since 2020, as the team aims to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2013. The Firebirds' undefeated record and Thornton's historic scoring performance have generated excitement around the team's postseason run.

The details

Fairmont jumped out to a 14-6 lead in the first quarter and broke the game open with a 12-1 run in the second quarter, taking a 40-18 halftime advantage. Thornton scored her 15th point to set the school's career scoring record, while senior Nico Cornett added 14 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds. Fairmont's defense limited Newark throughout the game.

  • The Firebirds defeated Newark on Tuesday, March 3 at the Ohio Expo Center's Taft Coliseum.
  • Fairmont will play Olentangy in the Division I, Region 2 final on Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m. at the Taft Coliseum.

The players

Kaylah Thornton

A senior guard for Fairmont High School who scored a game-high 23 points and set the school's career scoring record with 1,564 points, surpassing the previous mark of 1,555 held by Kathryn Westbeld.

Nico Cornett

A senior for Fairmont High School who had 14 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds in the win over Newark.

Maliyah Bailey

A sophomore for Fairmont High School who scored 10 points in the regional semifinal victory.

Jeremey Finn

The head coach of the Fairmont High School girls basketball team.

Kathryn Westbeld

A 2014 graduate of Fairmont High School who held the school's previous career scoring record of 1,555 points before being surpassed by Kaylah Thornton. Westbeld went on to play at Notre Dame and is currently a member of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.

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What they’re saying

“I'm very excited, very happy with the team. We worked so hard in practice day in and day out. I'm just really happy for our coaches and our teammates.”

— Kaylah Thornton, Senior Guard, Fairmont High School

“We are really proud of the girls. I thought we did a really good job defensively. We got in early foul trouble, but I thought we did a really good job responding. We got some easy transition points with some deflections. We're just really proud and we'll head back, figure out who we got next and get back to practice.”

— Jeremey Finn, Head Coach, Fairmont High School

What’s next

Fairmont will play Olentangy in the Division I, Region 2 final at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6 at the Taft Coliseum, with a state tournament berth on the line.

The takeaway

Fairmont's undefeated season and historic run to the regional final has energized the community and showcased the program's talent, led by senior guard Kaylah Thornton's record-breaking performance. The Firebirds now have a chance to reach the state tournament for the first time in nearly a decade.