MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner failed to convert two opportunities to force overtime Friday night as time expired on its 18-game win streak with a 69-66 loss to Loyola in the semifinals of the SSAC tournament.

The Eagles proved the beneficiary of a lane violation against Loyola's Terry Smith Jr. that waived off a free throw make with 14 seconds remaining. The sequence left Faulkner down 69-66 coming out of a timeout with a chance to tie it. The Eagles turned the ball over in an unforced error and appeared doomed. After fouling Tensley Aldridge, Faulkner watched as the guard missed both free throw chances to leave the game at a one-possession deficit.

C.J. Williamson (SO/Guntersville, Ala.) grabbed the rebound with 7.7 seconds left and raced to the other end where he launched a three that did not drop. Garrett Sanderson (JR/Montgomery, Ala.) snagged the offensive board and tipped it back out to C.J. Jones (SR/Port Richey, Fla.) but the buzzer sounded before the senior could line up a shot.

The frenetic sequence a capped a wild, back-and-forth affair that saw its last lead change at the 6:04 mark when Zach Muller knocked down a free throw to put Loyola on top.

The teams volleyed the lead throughout the night with Faulkner never finding itself up by more than five. The game featured 15 ties and lead changes with one of the most dramatic moments coming in the waning moments of the opening half. Jamon Moore (SR/Albany, Ga.) rebounding a Tim Cameron miss with 3.3 seconds left and rifled the ball up the floor to Garrett Sanderson, who got the ball out of his hand just before the buzzer sounded to knock down a game-tying three.

Faulkner took the lead early in the second half on a Nate Bradley (SR/Concord, N.Y.) make before regaining it on a pair of Milan Skundric (SR/Negotin, Serbia) field goals. The sequence sparked an 8-3 run that staked the Eagles to their largest lead of the night at 45-40. However, a 10-0 Wolfpack run flipped the game on its ear with 11:44 to play.

Bradley put the team on his back at the 10:21 mark when he knocked down a three and then followed up the feat with an old-fashioned three-point play with 10:01 remaining.

After a pair of Myles Burns free throws at the 9:10 mark, Bradley put his team on top once more with another triple. The proved to be Faulkner's final lead of the night.

Bradley paced the Eagles with 18 points while Skundric finished with 17 and Williamson notched 14.

Cameron topped Loyola with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Burns added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Zach Wrightsil added 18 points and six boards.

Loyola won the rebounding battle 44-29 and outscored Faulkner in the paint 38-22. The Wolfpack also shot 44.6 percent from the floor while limiting the Eagles to 36.2 percent. The loss was the first for Faulkner since Dec. 13, 2019.

The Eagles will return to action in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. Either March 18 or March 19. Faulkner will learn its seeding and opponent Wednesday night during the NAIA Selection Show, which airs at 7 p.m. on the NAIA Facebook page.