MONTGOMERY, Ala. - With 17:27 left in the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament championship game here Saturday night, Faulkner was on the ropes. Three starters were in foul trouble and the Eagles faced a nine-point deficit against Middle Georgia State. The dream of an improbably trip to Kansas City for the NAIA national tournament was slipping away.

Faulkner's Scott Sanderson, however, still believed in his team. And that belief paid off in what the long-time collegiate head coach called arguably the finest hour of his career.

Sophomore guard D.J. Boyd came off the bench and sparked the fifth-seeded Eagles, who erased the deficit with a 30-11 stretch over the next 10 minutes to give Faulkner a 10-point lead. The Knights never seriously threatened from there as Faulkner punched its ticket to the NAIA's Big Dance with a 78-64 victory in front of a boisterous and rowdy crowd at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex.

"This is just amazing - how this team fought and never surrendered," Sanderson said. "If ever there was a total team win, this was it. From the guys on the bench to the guys that aren't used to being out there much getting the job done. As for D.J., this couldn't happen to a better young man. I'm so happy for all these guys. I reminded them earlier today about all the off-season workouts and all the running we did on the football field, and how it was all for this day and this opportunity. And they did it. Even when it didn't look good, we all still believed we'd win. And here's the best part - we're excited about what we've accomplished as a group, but it's not over yet."

Boyd had scored a total of just six points since early January, but this became his night, his moment in the sun. The Madison, Ala., native knocked down a trio of 3-pointers during the decisive run, and added a pair of free throws as well. It was, he admitted, the biggest night of his basketball life.

"This was a God thing," he said. "I totally believe that. And I'm just so thankful that He gave me the opportunity tonight to help my team accomplish one of our goals. I still am having a hard time believing what this team did this week."

What Faulkner (20-13) did was win three games in three days, with victories over fourth-seeded Martin Methodist and eighth-seeded Loyola setting the stage for the dramatic SSAC finale. Di'mar Hill's 20 first-half points kept the Eagles close at the break, trailing only 33-30 after his layup at the buzzer. The start to the second half was not a good one for Sanderson's club, with the Knights scoring eight of the first 10 points to build a 41-32 advantage. After the second-year head coach called a timeout, Monta Sanford scored on two straight possessions and Boyd knocked down a 3-pointer to trim the margin to two. After the teams jockeyed back and forth over the next few minutes, senior guard Nick Drake dropped in a long-range 3 with 9:05 left to give Faulkner a 54-52 lead.

It would never trail again. Boyd added two free throws, Drake scored in the paint and Boyd dropped in another 3-pointer and the Eagles built a nine-point advantage with 7:27 to play. The second-seeded Knights never got closer than seven points the rest of the way. Faulkner has won 13 of its past 15 games and will be making its 10th NAIA tournament appearance, having won the national championship in 2001.

Hill, the tournament's most valuable player, finished with 24 points and five rebounds. Drake, who joined Hill on the all-tournament team, added the first double-double of his career with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Marquis Grays had his second-straight double-figure night, matching Boyd's 11-point total. The second-half turnaround was in part due to the Eagles emergence on the glass. Outrebounded by 12 at the 17-minute mark of the second half, Faulkner closed strong in getting to within one of Middle Georgia State's total at game's end, 42-41. The Knights, who ended their season at 16-11, were paced by the 19 points and 21 rebounds from Kieston Standfield. Ryan Wilkins had 12 and Pat Edmonds 11.

For Sanderson, the victory came 10 years to the day after one of his most crushing defeats as a head coach. Then the coach at Lipscomb University, his team lost a late overtime lead to crosstown rival Belmont in a game that had they won would have sent Sanderson and the Bisons to their first-ever NCAA Tournament. Saturday morning, he got a call from his son Carter, who lives in Dallas.

"The first thing he said was 'you know what today is, right?" shared Sanderson, fighting back emotion. "He remembered the date. We all did. It was a tough pill to swallow. Now, 10 years later, March 5 has a totally new look and feel for my family. What this team did tonight - this entire week - will always be very special to them, and certainly to me personally. It was a special week, and this was an unforgettable day."