MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner will continue the quest for its first conference win of the season after it fell to William Carey 78-70 Saturday afternoon. What was a tightly-contested game with three ties and seven lead changes devolved in the second half as turnovers began to bite the Lady Eagles late. Faulkner turned the ball over nine times over the game's final 20 minutes and struggled to slow down a Crusader offense that found its rhythm down the stretch.
The Crusaders hit 10 of their 14 shots from the floor in the third quarter to win the frame 23-18 and carry a six-point advantage into the game's final period. A strong start to the fourth quarter allowed Carey to get the lead to double digits for the first time and left Faulkner chasing the rest of the way.
The Lady Eagles trailed by as many as 13 and got as close as seven before the Crusaders were able to put the game away at the free-throw line. William Carey, now 16-0 on the season, shared the basketball with great efficiency, notching 14 assists on its 26 made baskets while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor.
For its part, Faulkner shot 37.1 percent from the floor and won the rebounding battle 38-32, including 13 offensive boards that it parlayed into 12 second-chance points.
Ruthie Smith paced Faulkner with 19 points and nine rebounds.
Dee Guinn added 15 points while
Nequoia Adams had 12.
Ella Jane Connell finished with a career-high 11 points.
Faulkner (6-9, 0-5 SSAC) returns to action Tuesday when it travels to Middle Georgia State for a key SSAC matchup.
