MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner trailed for a total of 46 seconds in its first game back on campus following the holiday break. The Eagles pulled away early for a resounding 94-53 win over Blue Mountain Thursday night in Tine Davis Gymnasium. The Faulkner defense held the Toppers to a 36.4 percent mark from the court and 29.2 percent from three-range, while the Eagles shot 54.5 percent overall, good for their third consecutive game with a mark of 49 percent or better, as well as 41.9 percent from outside the arc and 81.8 percent from the free throw line. Faulkner would have held the advantage in each statistical category if not for being assessed one more personal foul than the visitors. 

Cole McGrath got the opening bucket after the Toppers won the tipoff, but C.J. Hines gave his team its first lead with a three after Isaiah Brooks got the offensive rebound and tipped it out to Hines beyond the arc. Brooks' layup off a Hines assist in response to a Ty Jones basket gave Faulkner the lead for good at 5-4. Daniel Garmendia built the lead with a floater following a Topper travel, and Hines added another after getting the offensive board to go up 9-4. The margin was narrowed to two points on two occasions in the next 1:32, but the second threat was ended by a three from Garmendia that followed five passes around the arc and caromed in. Layups by Jamel Cleveland and Hines were next; these three scoring plays were all assisted by Trace Hill, and they made Faulkner's lead 18-9. 

Hines got a bucket and and-one after a Topper score to make the score 21-11. After a McGrath three that brought the score to 23-14, Brooks took advantage of a three-point play of his own with the shot clock winding down that put his team up by double digits for the rest of the night. Another three-point play by Hines following a Brooks steal and a Cleveland finish at the rim sandwiched a Jones two for the visitors. A long two by Jalon Perry, a Cleveland slam dunk and two steals and subsequent layups for Hill, the latter's lone scores of the day, staked Faulkner to a 39-17 lead. With just under a minute left until halftime, the Toppers completed an 8-0 run before Jeremy Jordan put a stop to it with a three, his first of five in a season-best outing. The Eagles went into the locker room with a 44-25 lead before adding 50 more points in the second half. 

Four Eagles finished in double figures. C.J. "Shines" did so again; his 25 points were one off his season high and three off his career high, and he added six rebounds and four assists. Garmendia was next on the stat sheet with 12 points, four boards and two assists. Brooks registered 11 points and seven boards; he was two points shy of tying his career high set against Freed-Hardeman in November. Brooks and Hill each contributed two blocks. Jordan racked up 17 points and three rebounds off the bench, as the reserve's performance was reminiscent of his high-scoring performances while at Keystone College. Cleveland scored eight points in a 4-for-4 shooting day and four rebounds, and Derek Murphy scored eight with four dimes. Austin Rogers logged 20 minutes coming off an injury, getting his first playing time at home since November 15 against Voorhees. 

Faulkner improves to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in the SSAC going into Saturday's trip to Stillman, who the Eagles defeated to win the conference tournament last year. Like Faulkner, Stillman was a No. 1 seed in the national tournament, played in the Opening Round bracket hosted on Faulkner's campus and advanced to the Round of 16 in Kansas City. The Tigers are just behind the third-place Eagles in the conference standings, as both look up to nationally ranked No. 1 Loyola and No. 3 Talladega.