Box Score MOBILE, Ala. – Faulkner fell short in its bid to earn the SSAC West Division crown Saturday as it dropped the regular season finale at Mobile 68-59 The Eagles scarcely led in the contest with a 7-6 advantage early serving as the only margin in favor of the visitors all afternoon.

Despite the persistent deficit and a double-digit margin early in the second half, the Eagles made a game of it down the stretch. After Treylan Smith drained a three with 17:36 to play to put the Rams up 40-28, the Eagles went on an 11-2 run to get back into it. A Maliek Sadler layup preceded a Jonathan Garcia three to get the game to 40-33. After Smith cashed in a layup for the Rams, Garcia made another three. Sadler followed in kind to cut it to 42-39 with 11:43 left.

Mobile ran the advantage back to 10 with an Adarius Oliver layup with 4:24 to go. Gabriel Rivera answered with a layup before a Sadler drive that resulted in a layup and a bonus free throw.

Two more Smith free throws got the lead back to seven with 1:14 to play. Jeffrey Selden then converted a layup and Rivera added two bonus shots to make it a three-point game with 41 seconds remaining. Faulkner traded free throws with the Rams in the closing moments to keep it to within one possession before a turnover with 15 seconds left changed the math. Mobile went one to make its next four free throw attempts to ice the win.

Mobile won the rebounding battle 36-30 and held the lead for 38:17 of the contest. The Ram bench outscored the Faulkner reserves 28-1 while the home team also went 10-2 in second-chance points.

Garcia topped Faulkner with 17 points. Selden added 16 points and six rebounds. Sadler finished with 10 points.

Faulkner (20-8, 11-6 SSAC) next plays in the SSAC Men's Basketball Championship tournament Thursday. The Eagles are the No. 2 seed in the West will face Middle Georgia State, the No. 3 seed from the East, in the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery at 9:45 p.m.