ALEXANDRIA, La. - Faulkner (5-1) trailed LSU Alexandria (1-4) 20-7 on the road after one quarter as the former shot just 21.4% from the field and 11.1% from three and committed nine turnovers. The Lady Eagles outscored the Generals by four in the second quarter to get within nine points at halftime. Faulkner then blew away the hosts with a 60% shooting third quarter, making six of seven shots from beyond the arc, to outscore them 34-8 on its way to an 80-63 win at The Fort that is a huge boon to its early season resume as it heads into conference play.
The Lady Eagles just barely outshot the Generals for the game 40.3% to 38.6% overall and 33.3% to 31.6% from three while closing it out on the free throw line with 71.4% production to 59.1%. Faulkner claimed 48 rebounds, 20 on the offensive end, to 36 for LSUA. The Lady Eagles forced the Generals into four more turnovers than they committed, including forcing a quarter-high 10 in the third while turning it over just twice. Faulkner came up with 11 steals to six for the Red River Athletic Conference side.
Ruthie Smith started the second period with a layup. As the teams went back and forth for the bulk of the quarter, Faulkner got within single digits on threes from Keyarra Scottland, Sydney Steward, Avery Rogers and Morgan Holland DeWitt, while once getting within 10 on an old-fashioned three-point play by Grace Anne Rose. DeWitt's triple came with 1:21 left to play in the first half, and in response to a pair of General layups, Smith ended the quarter the way she began it to get her team within 38-29 at the half.
Off a pair of LSUA turnovers to start the first half, Smith and Brett Douglas scored layups, both off offensive boards by Douglas, the second off her own miss. After forcing a second straight turnover by Reese Stephens, Rogers scored a three to get Faulkner within two. Rogers then tied it up with a layup off her defensive rebound after two missed LSUA free throws before giving Faulkner its first lead since the opening minutes with another trey off yet another General turnover.
Rogers assisted a Scottland triple on their next trip down for a 44-40 Faulkner lead at the 6:24 mark of the third quarter. One minute later, DeWitt came up with a steal leading to a Scottland layup. DeWitt proceeded to score on a fastbreak layup to put her team up 50-40 for their first double-digit lead. The Lady Eagles scored three more triples in the third quarter, and Addison Cantrell was involved in all of them. She stole the ball from Sydney Person and assisted a Scottland triple with 2:53 on the clock. With 1:18 left in the period, Cantrell hit a triple off a DeWitt dime for a 60-44 lead before the two switched roles on the next possession following a Douglas steal. Needless to say, it was smooth sailing from there.
DeWitt racked up 15 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Scottland and Rose each put up 13 points and five boards, with Scottland adding a block. Rogers scored 11 with two steals, playing a huge role in the comeback in her first game of full-time basketball this season, as she missed the Reinhardt game last week while competing in the SSAC Cross Country Championships. Smith collected 10 points, three blocks and a steal. Douglas had seven boards, two steals and a block. Cantrell and Steward each scored six points and got a steal.
The Lady Eagles return to Montgomery for an exhibition at NCAA DI Alabama State on Sunday at 4 pm before heading home to Tine Davis to start SSAC play on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 5:30 pm against Blue Mountain Christian.
