MONTGOMERY, Ala. – With a familiar cast that also featured plenty of new names, Faulkner's latest season got underway with an 80-69 victory over Rust College Friday. In the Faulkner head coaching debut of Jacob Roark, the Lady Eagles only trailed for a matter of seconds in a game that saw them lead by as many as 16 points.
A familiar player with a new name paced Faulkner all night long as newlywed
Morgan Holland DeWitt poured in 23 points while grabbing nine rebounds in the effort. She knocked down four of her nine three-point attempts and kept the offense spaced with an inside-outside scoring presence.
A trio of true freshmen shined in their collegiate debut, combining for 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
Sydney Steward drew the start and played a team high 37 minutes while flirting with a triple-double. She finished the night with 11 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to go along with two blocks and a steal.
Keyarra Scottland started and played 19 minutes. Despite being limited by foul trouble, the guard contributed nine points, three rebounds and three assists.
Grace Anne Rose played 19 minutes off the bench, finishing with nine points and an assist.
Faulkner also got major bench contributions from
Sarah Wisniowski (six points and three rebounds) and
Ashlyn Plott (five points, four rebounds and one assist) despite each only getting 10 minutes of action.
Dee Guinn ended the night with five points, four rebounds and a block while playing off the ball most of the evening.
The victory marked the first in program history over Rust, the team that eliminated Faulkner from the national tournament two seasons ago. Roark returned to Faulkner this offseason after one year away at NCAA Division II Pittsburg State. A protégé of
Reed Sutton, he accepted the job after the godfather of Faulkner Lady Eagle basketball stepped aside earlier this season.
Faulkner (1-0) continues its Jimmy Faulkner Classic slate Saturday when it hosts Stillman College (0-1) at 5 p.m.
