Box Score MOBILE, Ala. – Faulkner matched Mobile shot for shot for nearly three and a half quarters before a late Rams run turned the game in a 60-55 loss Saturday. The SSAC conference opener for both teams saw its defining stretch come following a
Morgan Holland layup that tied the contest at 42 with 8:48 to play. Sidney Sims dished to MacKenzie White, who knocked down a three with 8:22 left to put Mobile on top with the final lead change of the afternoon.
White's long-range connection sparked a 9-0 Rams run that forced a Faulkner timeout with 6:22 remaining. Out of the stoppage, the Lady Eagles got back to work.
Ashlyn Adkins knocked down a layup at the 6:12 mark and made another with 4:57 to play, slicing the deficit to five.
Megan Wilkinson knocked down a jumper with 4:25 left to put Faulkner down 51-48.
The 6-0 Faulkner flight forced a Mobile timeout that allowed the Rams to reset. White made a layup with 3:48 to play before Sims drained a three 34 seconds later, leaving Mobile up eight. The Eagles made one more run at it as
Channing Gafford converted a layup through contact and knocked down the ensuing free throw. After an Adkins steal, Gafford hit another layup with 1:55 left to put Faulkner behind 56-53.
White made a pair of free throws with 1:10 left before Holland answered with a layup just nine seconds later off an Adkins pass to narrow it to three once more. The Eagles then managed enough stops to give themselves a chance but were unable to finish on the offensive end as Mobile made two more free throws to seal the win.
Faulkner made 40 percent of its shots from the floor but turned the ball over 16 times in the contest. They also hit only 11 percent of their three-point shots, overshadowing strong defensive and rebounding efforts. Faulkner won the rebound battle 35-33 and held Mobile to just 33.8 percent from the floor.
Sims topped Mobile with 15 points while White had 12. Holland paced Faulkner with 15 points.
Micala Fisanick added 11 to go along with eight rebounds and Adkins finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
Faulkner (4-3, 0-1 SSAC) returns to action Tuesday when it travels to Pensacola Christian for a 6 p.m. tip.
