MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Faulkner Lady Eagles (5-7, 2-2 SSAC) followed one complete performance against a conference foe with another Friday night at Tine Davis Gymnasium. This one resulted in a greater margin of victory, as Faulkner defeated Florida College 96-61 in what may have been their cleanest and most efficient offensive performance of the season. The Lady Eagles connected on at least 50 percent of their field goals and free throws in three quarters, and continued their selfless offensive identity by totaling 19 assists. They outscored the visiting Falcons in the paint 36-22, scored 26 off of turnovers, and got 46 points from the bench. Most importantly, though, the Lady Eagles only turned the ball over on three occasions. Faulkner Head Coach Reed Sutton attributed his players' strong showing and ball movement to developing trust in themselves and in each other. 

Both teams had their sluggish moments throughout the first half as neither team finished a quarter with a higher mark than 50 percent on field goals. After what began as a mostly back-and-forth affair, Olivia Colson's bucket with 3:50 to go in the first quarter gave her team the lead for good, starting a 12-3 run in the remainder of that period. Florida College made what would be their last sustained charge of the contest in the second quarter, as they were only outscored by three in the 10 minutes before halftime.

The visitors cut the advantage to seven for the second time in the quarter with 4:41 on the clock, but would not get another score until after halftime. Ryann Sylvester's three-pointer after a Falcon turnover, Evaiah Burrows's basket and Morgan Holland's defensive rebound to finish the half gave Faulkner a double-digit lead that would last for the remainder of the contest. Long-range shots by Channing Gafford and Micala Fisanick, along with a Holland basket, closed out the third quarter and extended Faulkner's advantage to 25 points. In the fourth quarter, with everyone available to suit up for the Lady Eagles seeing the court, the domination continued. Once again, the home team put up the last three shots of the period. The margin climbed into the 30s to stay with Jolee Cole's 3-pointer and consecutive baskets by freshmen Melanie Salinas and Lauren Allen.

The sequence ensured that each Lady Eagle scored points in the contest.  
Gafford led the packed Faulkner stat sheet with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Burrows had a career day with 14 points, which topped her previous high, set in the first game against Pensacola Christian, to go with two boards and two steals. Colson added 13 points and five rebounds to her team's total. Fisanick registered nine points and five boards, and Holland tallied seven points and four assists.
Kinlee Varnell led her squad by racking up 19 points and ten rebounds. Audre' Anna Judie had 12 points, 11 boards and two assists. Rylee Everett scored eight points to go with three boards and five assists, and Bailee Taft added nine points and five rebounds.

The contest was the first of a two-game visit by Florida College, and the teams will tip off at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Lady Eagles will try for their third straight conference win, while the Falcons are still looking for their first SSAC victory of the season.

"Yeah, just put it behind us," Sutton said of preparing to play the same team again after such a convincing win. "I mean, we really played well today. Three turnovers for the game's got to be a school record, 19 assists, shot it well, 77 shots attempted, 80 percent from the free throw line. Like, we did everything very well tonight, and so you have to play your next game, and hopefully you draw confidence from that, for sure. But you have to play your next game, with respect, you know, for yourself, and with respect for the fact that, you know, you may just not play quite as well offensively the next day. And so, we really have to dig in on defense tomorrow, and really establish ourselves early in the game on defense."