PULASKI, Tenn. - Faulkner saw the three ball fall frequently Saturday as the team shot 47.8 percent from deep on 11 makes fueled by a 5-5 day from deep by
Francois-Dony Baba and a 3-3 from
Kamal Green II en route to an 88-79 SSAC win over UT Southern at the Curry Athletic Complex three weeks to the day after losing at home on a buzzer beater.
Gideon Harris knocked down the first triple with the first shot of the day to set the tone for a hot-shooting Eagle squad whose 46.7 percent mark from the floor was the second best of the season. UTS jumped back into the lead at 12-7 with 14:34 to go, but the defense clamped down around Baba and Green going off on the other end; Faulkner went on a 13-3 run over the next three minutes. However, the Firehawks bounced right back and led by seven with 6:12 to go, but Faulkner rolled 24-4 over the final six minutes to take a 48-38 lead into the break shooting 6-10 from the floor.
Faulkner kept the game in double figures for all but 144 seconds in the first half, with the lead never getting below eight despite some hot shooting from UTS by forcing eight turnovers in the half with five steals.
Faulkner outscored UTS 42-3 on the bench and 21-10 in second chance points.
Baba was stellar with 23 points, with 8-11 from the floor, 5-5 from deep, seven boards and four steals.
KJ Rogers and Green each had 13 with Rogers adding four assists and four steals with Green's five boards.
Jordyn Turner-Durley and
Gideon Harris had 11 and 10 each as five Eagles found double-figures.
Faulkner improves to 3-1 in SSAC play to sit in second in the SSAC West and 7-4 overall. The Eagles pause SSAC action until the new year and will take on Stillman Wednesday at noon in Tuscaloosa.
