PULASKI, Tenn. - Faulkner got hot late to outshine the Firehawks as career highs from
Neely Johns and
Dee Guinn solidified into a victory over UT Southern Thursday night in a road SSAC contest.
Johns, a transfer from then Martin Methodist, went on a personal 8-0 run in just over a minute to put Faulkner up 10-4 early in the contest as the first of her eye-popping 28 points. The Firehawks thrice cut the Lady Eagle lead to three but a pair of free throws from
Morgan Holland and triples from
Ruthie Smith and
Dee Guinn, who made her first start of the season, kept the hosts away temporarily.
Johns started the second quarter knocking down the first three buckets, all from deep, for Faulkner to prop a stellar defensive effort, holding UTS to just four points in the first four minutes of the frame to extend the lead to 27-17. However, the Firehawks answered right back with a 10-3 run to close in on the lead and make it a one score game going back to the locker rooms.
UTS took its first lead of the game early in the third until layups from Smith, Holland and
Kinlee Varnell sparked an 11-0 run that seemingly put the game firmly in Faulkner hands at 43-33 with 1:28 to play in the third, but the hosts would not go quietly into the night as they whittled away at the difference.
Leading by just two with 2:50 to go, Johns came up clutch again with a three. After a defensive stop and then an offensive board by Holland, Guinn hit a pair of free throws to go up five with 2:07 to play. Following another stop, Johns converted a three point play to seal an 8-0 Lady Eagle run in just over a minute. UT Southern answered right back with a 6-0 run for a 60-56 game with 23 seconds to go, but Johns and
Evaiah Burrows each knocked down their pairs of bonus free throws from the end of game fouls to douse the Firehawks.
Faulkner knocked down 19 of its 26 free throw attempts to turn the tide overall.
"Defense and free throws travel. We had them tonight and we need to pack them when we go to Thomasville, Georgia next Tuesday," Head Coach
Reed Sutton said. "Great win for our team. The game was a grinder. Every time we felt like we were pulling away, UTS had answers."
Guinn dropped her Faulkner career high 13. Varnell led the squad in assists and rebounds with four and nine, respectively.
"I was really pleased with our guard play tonight," Sutton said. "Dee stepped right into that starting point guard role and played with high efficiency on both ends of the floor. What can you say about Neely? She really played with purpose tonight. She shot it well."
The Lady Eagles sit at 11-5 in SSAC play and sit in fifth in a congested top of the SSAC standings with just two games in the loss column separating second and fifth.
Faulkner continues its road swing Tuesday afternoon against Thomas at 4:30 central for its penultimate contest.
