MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Fifth-seeded Bethel's (17-13) brilliant first-half scoring spree pinned No. 4 Faulkner (18-11) against the ropes for 34 minutes of regulation in tonight's Southern States Athletic Conference quarterfinal showdown here at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex. The Eagles fought back into the lead late, but heroic shooting from range ultimately lifted the Wildcats to the 96-93 victory in overtime.

The Eagles captured a quick four-point advantage out of the gate, but an ensuing 17-0 march spanning four and a half minutes by the Wildcats dealt Faulkner an early wake-up call.

Bethel was aggressive from the opening tip and its rapid-fire attack and high-energy presence proved a nightmare for the in-town team through the early stages of the contest.

The Tennessee-based bunch also seemed to counter virtually every explosive Eagle effort and disrupted countless offensive sets with stingy defense that crippled Faulkner's momentum in addition to its scoring efforts.

First-team all-conference selections Marquis Grays and Logan Jozwiak did the heavy lifting for the Eagles before the break scoring every Faulkner point in the first 17 minuets of play while combining for 31-of-38 total points in the first half.

The Eagles gained a much-needed boost during intermission and were powerful out of the starting block in the second period. Faulkner battled back to within three points early, but the Wildcats maintained their composure and stiff-armed the Faulkner comeback effort until late in the showdown.

Jozwiak's inbound bank shot put the Eagles up a point with 3:34 to play and a clutch 3-pointer by the senior just moments later extended Faulkner's lead to four.

A pair of botched Eagle free throws deep in the action gave Bethel life, however, and Charles Cobb's spectacular game-tying, fadeaway 3-pointer with just two seconds on the clock sent the nail-biter into extended play.

A back-and-forth battle ensued through the additional five minutes of action with Bethel inching into a two-point lead courtesy of a clutch Braxton Nappier 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining.

Jarred Walker solidified the win after forcing a turnover and knocking down his first free throw on the resulting foul.

Faulkner got one last look at the rim with 1.3 seconds remaining, but solid defense prevented a clean shot and Bethel went on to claim the upset.

Grays finished the game with a court-high 28 points and added five rebounds and four steals to his totals in the season finale.

Jozwiak added 27 points and nine boards to the statistical sheet and Lucas Luttrell offered up 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.