With the game on the line Tuesday night, Faulkner got a key bucket from Angela Grant (FR/Hoover, Ala.) just seconds before Ashlyn Adkins (SO/Locust Fork, Ala.) hit the winner in a 55-53 road victory over Pensacola Christian.

After Emma Hardy hit a free throw with 19 seconds to play to put Pensacola up 53-51, Grant caught an Adkins pass and powered it in from the right block to tie the game.

"We did draw up a little screener play to try to get Ashlyn open and get a two-man game on the right side of the floor coming out of bounds when Angela got her bucket. We did kind of isolate Ashlyn and Angela," Faulkner Head Coach Reed Sutton said of the penultimate bucket in the game.

Pensacola misplayed the ensuing possession, giving Faulkner the ball back with a chance to win it. A pass intended for Grant sailed high. Adkins chased down the loose ball and dropped in the game-winner.

"That last play was really a broken play. Ashlyn read it. She made a heady play. She saw that the pass was overthrown and she went and got it and made the play," Sutton said. "Got to give all the credit to Ash on that one. We were clearly trying to go in to Angela there at the end."

Faulkner managed only three field goals in the fourth quarter while making six of 10 free throw attempts. The largest chunk of the Lady Eagles' offense came in the first quarter when the squad charged out to an 18-6 lead after having gone the previous 10 days without playing a game.

"I really felt like it helped us win the game. We got off to a great start and I thought we had great defensive energy in the fourth quarter," Sutton said of the effect the break had on his team. "We rode basically the same four or five guys the last five minutes and had energy to spare. I think the rest actually helped us. I'm glad we had the 10 days of practice. This young team needs practice and practice is almost as important as games for them to gel."

Pensacola thrust itself back into the game with a 22-11 advantage in the second quarter. Despite 33 turnovers, Faulkner largely kept the game under control thanks in large part to its rebounding prowess. Sutton's team secured 54 rebounds on the night.

"They were really hard to guard. They run some really good offense and they're constantly moving," Sutton said. "They were very difficult to stay in front of. We managed to hold them to a low shooting percentage and we did a good job rebounding."

Grant paced Faulkner with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Nicole Shirley (SO/Tuscumbia, Ala.) added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Adkins finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four steals.

Faulkner (4-1) returns to action Saturday at 11 a.m. when it hosts Carver Bible.