MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner executed in its final preseason tune-up Tuesday night as the Lady Eagles rolled by NCAA Division III foe Birmingham-Southern 78-44 in an exhibition.
Faulkner hit 47.6 percent of its shots from the floor in the game including a stellar 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. The Lady Eagles also collected 50 rebounds and forced 20 turnovers.
"I loved how we competed on the glass tonight. We were very aggressive and got extra possessions on the offensive glass. We accomplished a lot tonight. We need to continue to protect the ball better, but our shot selection was fantastic, especially in the first half," Faulkner Head Coach
Reed Sutton said.
Faulkner checked most of the boxes, winning ancillary scoring categories across the board. The Lady Eagles took points off turnovers 24-5, points in the paint 42-16, second chance points 17-10, and bench points 34-5. The most significant blemish for Faulkner likely came in the turnover category where the Lady Eagles coughed up the ball 19 times. Still, they held the lead for more than 39 minutes to dominate the contest.
"When you get a lot of points in the paint, the dog wags the tail and the three comes naturally. If you shoot a bunch of threes, it's like the tail is trying to wag the dog," Sutton said.
Nequoia Adams topped Faulkner with 16 points and four assists.
Kinlee Varnell and
Morgan Holland had nine points apiece.
Ruthie Smith finished with eight points and seven rebounds.
Josie Edwards shined off the bench with six points, eight rebounds and four assists.
The game also featured the Tine Davis return of former Lady Eagle standout Nyla Johnson, who makes her head coaching debut with Birmingham-Southern this season.
"I can't even begin to describe how big of a Nyla Johnson fan I am," Sutton said of a player he coached for four seasons. "Her team really competes and that is a reflection of her as a coach. She has put together a good staff and recruited kids that fit well at BSC. She is special. Everyone at our game tonight at Faulkner will one day be able to tell their kids and grandkids they saw her coach her first Exhibition game as a Head Coach. She is big time!"
Faulkner opens the regular season Sunday at 2 p.m. when it travels to take on Milligan.
