BY BRIAN HAMILTON
SEYMOUR – Fulton didn’t want the same feeling they had in 2025, when the Falcons lost to Carter in the district championship and had to navigate through the region as a 2-seed before getting a rematch in the region championship. That might indeed happen again in the region this year, with Austin-East, but this season Fulton will enter the regional tournament as the 1-seed after defeating the Roadrunners 58-45 to win its fourth district championship in five years.
Fulton’s Justin Burris (22) goes up for a layup over a crowd of Austin-East defenders. Photo by Brian Hamilton
The Falcons started the game hot and every time Austin-East got close, Fulton had an answer. After building a 20-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Austin-East made a push, ending the game on a 7-0 run, but it was too late for the Roadrunners.
Fulton’s Nick Steen opened the game with a three-pointer to put the Falcons ahead 3-0. Justin Burris then hit a basket, followed by a steal and layup by Rejuan Womble, as Fulton started the game with a 7-0 run.
Austin-East finally got on the board when Justin Pruitt hit a three midway through the first quarter to make the score 7-3. Chaz Wood would answer for Fulton, hitting a three to give the Falcons a 10-3 advantage.
The Roadrunners then went on a 6-0 run, capped by a D’Shawn Fenderson layup to cut the deficit to 10-9 with 2:11 remaining in the first period.
Steen hit a floater on the other end to to stop the Austin-East run, while Albie Harris sank a three on the next possession to put Fulton in front 15-9 with 1:05 left. Larrione Winton grabbed a steal with the first quarter clock running down and raced the other way for a layup attempt, but it was blocked, sending the Roadrunners to the second quarter down 15-10.
Julius Young opened the second quarter with a three to cut the Fulton lead to 15-13, but a basket by Womble would stretch the lead back to 17-13.
The teams traded baskets the next few possessions until a long jumper by Womble and a three-pointer by Steen pushed the Falcons’ lead to 24-19 with 3:36 remaining.
Fulton clung to a 24-21 lead when a Womble three and a layup by Tazarius Burns extended the lead to 29-21 with 1:25 left.
Fenderson grabbed a rebound and put it up and in to trim the Austin-East deficit to 29-23 with 35 seconds remaining, but Burns made a layup with six seconds left to send Fulton to the half with a 31-23 lead.
The Roadrunners opened the third quarter with a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 31-28, but Steen would finally hit a three to give Fulton its first points of the second half with 4:25 left in the third quarter.
Austin-East’s Julius Young (12) goes up for a shot while Fulton’s Nick Steen defends. Photo by Brian Hamilton
Winton converted an old-fashioned three-point play to pull Austin-East to within 34-31 with just under three minutes remaining. Steen scored on a jumper to extend the Falcons’ lead to 39-33 with under one minute remaining, as Fulton would carry a 41-35 lead into the final stanza.
Womble opened the quarter with a three-pointer to put Fulton ahead 44-35, followed by a Chaz Wood jumper to stretch the lead to 46-35. A Steen rebound and layup would cap a 9-0 Falcon run, dating back to the third quarter, giving the Falcons a commanding 48-35 lead with under six minutes remaining.
Big leads can disappear quickly in this rivalry, so Steen nailed a three, followed by a Burris jump shot to stretch the Fulton lead to 16, at 53-37, midway through the fourth quarter. At this point, the Falcons were on a 14-2 run.
A three by Womble pushed the lead to 20, at 58-38, with just over two minutes remaining. Austin-East would fight back, closing the game on a 7-0 run, but it was too little, too late, as the Falcons went on to win 58-45 and earn their fourth district championship in five years.
Nick Steen led all scorers with 18 points, while Rejuan Womble added 17. Justin Burris finished with nine points for the Falcons.
Austin-East was led by eight points from D’Shawn Fenderson and Julius Young, while Larrione Winton finished with six points for the Roadrunners.
Fulton (19-9) will host Gibbs (3-20) in the region semifinal on Saturday night, while Austin-East (18-12) hosts Anderson County (14-13) on Saturday night.