Box Score THOMASVILLE, Ga. – Faulkner rode the strength of an efficient second quarter to a 67-54 SSAC road victory over Thomas Saturday afternoon. Faulkner posted 28 points in the game's second period and shot 50 percent from the field in the frame. That proved enough to overcome offensive struggles in the game's other three periods, quarters in which the Lady Eagles shot just 20.4 percent from the field.

The Lady Eagles watched a double-digit second-half lead dissipate in the fourth quarter as a Sophia D'Amaro layup out of the media timeout narrowed the score to 55-54 with 4:25 remaining in the game. Faulkner got an answer with 3:35 to go when Dee Guinn converted a layup to push it back to 57-54. The bucket marked the first field goal for Faulkner since the 3:00 mark of the third quarter and proved to be only the fourth made field goal of the second half for the Lady Eagles. With 2:36 to play, Ruthie Smith gave Faulkner a modicum of breathing room when she converted a layup to push the margin to five. Smith then dropped what seemed to be the dagger with 42 seconds left when she grabbed the offensive rebound off a missed three and spun in for a layup that moved the lead to seven. The Lady Eagles then iced the win by going 6-for-6 from the free throw line over the final 38 seconds of the game.

After a slow start offensively, the Lady Eagles found life in the second quarter. Thomas's LaTarius Montgomery hit a layup just nine seconds into the second period to put the Nighthawks up 20-12. Smith followed with a free throw at the 9:34 mark and a made three just 22 seconds later. She parlayed a Nequoia Adams pass into a layup at 8:49 to go in the frame to cut the deficit to 20-18.

Following a timeout, Faulkner proved unrelenting in the attack. Ella Jane Connell turned a Smith dime into a triple before Guinn dished to Adams for a layup. Adams then helped on a Connell jumper as the Lady Eagles' 13-0 run vaulted them to a 25-20 lead.

Montgomery got the Nighthawks back on the board with 6:12 to go in the frame before Adams made two free throws just four seconds later. A Kennedy Collins three allowed Thomas to cut it back to a one-possession game before Faulkner went on a 6-0 run to stretch the advantage to 33-25. With 14 seconds left before halftime, Adams passed off to Smith, who drained a three to lift Faulkner to a 40-29 lead. All told, the Lady Eagles ended the half on a 28-9 run that saw seven different players score as the team shot 50 percent from the field and from beyond the arc. Over that period of 9:34, Faulkner did not turn the ball over once but managed to force seven Nighthawk miscues.

Nearly all of the work done by the Lady Eagles in the second quarter evaporated during a disastrous third period in which the visitors shot 16.7 percent from the field while posting only 10 points. The drought allowed Thomas back into the game.

After trailing by as many as 15 in the frame, Thomas put together its own run to change the scope of the contest. Over a stretch of 5:10, the Nighthawks shot 50 percent from the floor and forced four Faulkner turnovers to help a 15-4 run that left them down just 50-46 as the fourth quarter loomed. Jamia Brown starred during the blitz, scoring eight of the 15 Thomas points.
Smith finished with 23 points and 19 rebounds to go along with four steals. Her effort on the boards anchored an outing that featured 51 Faulkner rebounds. Adams added 14 points and four assists. Keyarra Scottland notched 12 points to go along with three steals and two blocked shots.

Faulkner (12-12, 6-8 SSAC) returns home Thursday for Senior Night when it hosts Blue Mountain Christian University at 5:30 p.m.