MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner shook off a cold start before catching fire in the second half and raced away from Selma 81-56 here Friday on the opening night of the annual Jimmy Faulkner Classic at Tine Davis Gymnasium.

The Lady Eagles (1-0) led by only 11 at the half, but used a dominating third quarter to knockout the Lady Bulldogs. Faulkner outscored Selma 24-11 in the decisive period, and coasted home in the fourth. The lead grew to as many as 28 on multiple occasions, the final time coming at 77-49 on an Erichea Barnes' 3-pointer with 4:47 to play.

Faulkner had 11 players score in the game, led by Barnes' 14 points. Faith LeGate added 13 and Savana Flack 10. Surprisingly, one of Faulkner's top two scorers from a year ago - China Leary - was the only Lady Eagle who played and did not score in the game. She did add six rebounds and a game-high five assists, however. Olivia Adamson lead the way with eight rebounds, and added six points as well. Selma (0-1) was paced by Tatyana Griffin's 24 points. Shannon Watts pitched in 11 for the Lady Bulldogs.

"Everybody contributed to this win, and we showed a lot of energy coming out in the second half," Faulkner head coach Reed Sutton said. "We battled tonight and I saw some things we can really build on. Our emphasis is on 'team' this year. I think we have the possibility of being a great team with a bunch of good players and that's exciting. In the past we've had a few good teams with great players, but this year it's all about coming together as one."

Faulkner grabbed the lead before the clock even started, with Selma assessed a technical foul for incorrect numbers in the scorebook. Kylie Moore made them both, and the Lady Eagles never looked back. Faulkner's aggressiveness offensively allowed it to take control, getting to the free-throw line early and often. The Lady Eagles made 10 shots from the line in the first quarter, building as much as a nine-point lead in the opening 10 minutes.

Reed Sutton's team led 19-12 after one quarter, and the advantage ballooned to as many as 12 in the second quarter despite a cold shooting effort from the field. Faulkner made just seven of its first 29 shots, but Flack's 10 first-half points allowed the Lady Eagles to take a 38-27 to the locker room. The Lady Bulldogs kept it relatively close in the first half behind the play of Griffin and Watts, who had 12 and 10, respectively.

The Lady Eagles' bench outscored the Selma reserves 51-5, and outrebounded the visitors 51-40. After it's slow shooting start, Faulkner ended the night at 40 percent from the field. Selma shot 30 percent in the game.

"We had some first-game jitters, but that's to be expected," Sutton said. "The effort was consistent though, and that's what pleases me the most."

The Lady Eagles close out the Faulkner Classic against Concordia Saturday. The game tips off at 5 p.m. at Tine Davis Gymnasium.