TALLADEGA, Ala. - Di'mar Hill's return to the Faulkner basketball team was evident here Friday night against No. 11 Talladega, but in the end it wasn't enough for the Eagles to pull off the upset. The Tornadoes' ability to grab offensive rebounds kept the ball on their end of the floor for the entire final minute, and Jordan Washington's floater in the lane with less than a second left resulted in a 78-76 victory.

The loss overshadowed tremendous efforts from Hill and fellow guard Nick Drake. Hill, in his first game back since last season, finished with 22 points, six assists and six rebounds, while Drake led all scorers with 27. Faulkner's Monta Sanford added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Eagles, who fell to 4-6 on the year. Talladega improved to 13-3 with the victory.

For Faulkner head coach Scott Sanderson, it was a "what might have been" evening for his team.

"The offensive rebounds late killed us, and they made big shot after big shot down the stretch," he said. "We didn't take care of the ball like we needed to either, but overall, we improved tonight and I'm excited what is still ahead for this basketball team. If we play with that kind of effort we're going to be in position to do some special things."

Faulkner led 65-51 with 10:21 to play on a pair of Lucas Luttrell free throws, but Talladega stormed back. A 10-0 run, culminated by a Darrian Provost 3-pointer, cut the margin to 65-61. Washington's conventional three-point play brought the Tornadoes to within 68-67, and a Courtney Mack basket off a steal gave Talladega its first lead since the opening minutes at 69-68 with 5:38 to play. 

It was a back-and-forth affair from there. Drake's 3-pointer and two free throws from Sanford gave the Eagles a 74-71 lead with 4:14 left, but Courtney Mack's long 3 deadlocked it again moments later. Tied at 76, the Tornadoes got two offensive rebounds to extend the winning possession in the closing minute. After a Faulkner foul with 3.7 seconds left, Washington's runner in the lane proved to be the difference.

The Eagles fell to the Tornadoes 79-59 at home less than a month ago, but the only similarity between that game and this one was the size of the basketball. Faulkner got most of the loose balls and was the aggressor throughout the first 30 minutes, turning the tables on the hosts until the frenzied final stretch. 

Hill's impact was evident from the opening tip, with his energy and floor awareness sparking the Eagles. His four assists led to half of Drake's 21 first-half points, and the 12 points he contributed himself helped Faulkner race away to a double-digit lead. The advantage climbed to as many as 20 at 41-21 with 5:38 to play in the half. The Tornadoes responded late in the period, however, trimming the deficit to 15 at the break.

Faulkner scorched the nets in the opening 20 minutes, hitting 62 percent of its shots while holding Talladega to just 36 percent. The Tornadoes heated up in the second half, setting the stage for the frantic finish. For the game, the Eagle shot 51 percent, while Talladega warmed up to 45 percent. The Tornadoes won the rebounding battle 38-30, with 14 coming on the offensive end.

Faulkner hosts Concordia (Selma) Monday night at Tine Davis Gymnasium. The game tips off at 7.