HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Faulkner got off to a strong start Saturday night and scarcely looked back as it blasted Oakwood 85-48.
Keyarra Scottland dished to
Ruthie Smith for the first bucket of the game before making a three of her own for the 5-0 lead. The spurt proved the start of a 17-5 run that ballooned the lead to 12 when Scottland assisted a
Sydney Steward three with 5:05 left in the first quarter.
After a pair of Oakwood free throws, the Lady Eagles embarked on a 13-0 stretch to end the first quarter.
Bridget Johnson started the run by connecting on a jumper. Smith followed by parlaying a Steward pass into a three before
Dee Guinn repeated the feat at the 2:36 mark. Johnson dished off to
Sarah Wisniowski for a make and then grabbed a defensive board to start the break that resulted in another Guinn triple. As the horn sounded at the end of the first, Faulkner held a 30-7 lead.
The Lady Eagles added to the advantage early in the second when Scottland grabbed a defensive board and finished the fastbreak with a layup for the 25-point lead.
Avery Rogers pulled down a defensive board on the ensuing sequence and found Smith on the break for another three and the 35-7 lead. Faulkner later put together a 7-0 run with a layup from Smith and another from
Grace Anne Rose before
Mary Alice Murner converted a Steward pass into a three for the 32-point lead.
The Ambassadors cut the deficit to 27 by halftime and got it back to 25 in the third quarter before the Faulkner offense started clicking again. The Lady Eagles ended the third quarter on an 8-2 run. Faulkner won the fourth quarter 22-18 to set the final margin.
The Lady Eagles shot 43.8 percent from the floor in the game while relying on rebounding dominance to help put Oakwood away. Faulkner pulled down 53 rebounds in the contest including 15 on the offensive end, a mark that allowed them to score 30 second chance points. The Lady Eagles also assisted on 18 of 35 made baskets in the game.
Smith topped Faulkner with 20 points to go along with 13 rebounds. She also featured prominently on the defensive end with three blocked shots and a steal. Steward finished her night with 18 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Rose notched 12 points while Scottland and Guinn had 11 apiece.
Faulkner (2-1) will play its first game against an opponent from a league other than the HBCUAC Thursday when it opens conference play against Tennessee Southern. That game tips at 5:30 p.m. in Tine Davis Gymnasium.
