MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner was not without its chances late but lost a four-point lead with less than two minutes to go in an 83-77 defeat to Middle Georgia State in the SSAC quarterfinals Thursday night.
The Eagles overcame a six-point deficit with a 10-0 run that started on a
Jeffrey Selden layup with 4:24 left.
Gabriel Rivera followed with a three to cut it to 73-72.
Maliek Sadler followed with a triple of his own and Faulkner vaulted in front at 75-73 with 2:59 left. Selden added a pair of free throws and the lead sat at two possessions with just 2:11 remaining on the clock. With everything leaning the Eagles' way, nobody told Jamal Taylor the game was over.
The MGA guard drained a three on a second-chance opportunity with 1:44 left to cut the deficit to one. Taylor then came up with a steal and took it the distance for an easy layup with 1:22 remaining to put the Knights up 78-77. Another Taylor steal led to a foul and a made free throw.
The MGA lead sat at 79-77 with 1:07 left.
The Eagles had a chance to tie it but missed a jumper coming out of a timeout and didn't get a rebound. They did not put another shot up until 8.8 seconds remaining in the ball game as Taylor ended the night on a personal 10- run. Over the final 2:11 of the contest, Faulkner did not get a rebound and turned the ball over twice.
The Eagles led for nearly all of the first half and found itself up by as many as 10 before Middle Georgia State got on a 21-9 run to take the advantage. During that stretch, the Eagles turned the ball over four times and allowed the Knights to shoot more than 50 percent from the field as seven different MGA players scored during the spurt.
The tide turned at the 3:59 mark when Rivera was fouled and during the ensuing commotion, the Faulkner bench was issued a tech. Trashawn Wilson made both free throws for MGA before Rivera knocked down one of the shots he had been awarded. That left Faulkner up 31-29. A Jamal Taylor jumper and a Milique Smith layup vaulted the Knights into a lead they held for the duration of the first half as they carried a 38-36 lead into the locker room as halftime.
The Eagles opened the game on an 11-4 run with a Selden layup sparking the offensive output. Rivera followed with a three ahead of a Sadler layup and a pair of K.J. Rogers free throws and Faulkner appeared to be off and running. What ensued was a largely chaotic war of attrition that ended after midnight and included 44 fouls, 53 free throws and 27 turnovers.
Rivera ended with 21 points to lead Faulkner. Selden had 19 while Rogers added 14.
Faulkner (20-9) now sits and waits to find out if it will receive an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament.
