DAYTON, Tenn. – Faulkner shared the basketball with tremendous efficiency Tuesday as it notched an 84-48 midweek victory over Bryan College. The Lady Eagles notched 22 assists on 34 made baskets in the contest while committing only seven turnovers across 40 minutes of action. Conversely, Faulkner's defense forced 26 turnovers and parlayed those miscues into a 33 points.
The Lady Eagles used an 11-2 first-quarter run to take early control.
Avery Rogers led a quartet of players who scored during the stretch as the team made 50 percent of its shots.
Sydney Steward knocked down a jumper off a
Makinley Traylor assist before
GraceAnne Rose followed with a make of her own. After a pair of Bryan free throws, Rogers drained a three before notching another jumper off a Rose assist. Steward dished to
Brett Douglas for a jumper to move the lead to 13-4.
As the second quarter opened, a Rogers jumper off a Steward dime opened the lead to 11. Less than 30 seconds later, Steward helped on a
Laylah Davis three. Traylor then found
Ruthie Smith for another three to move the lead to 16. The margin remained at 16 until Faulkner put together a 12-2 run to cap the third quarter.
With 4:22 left in the frame, Douglas cashed in a Rose pass for a jumper. Rose followed with a pair of made free throws and then a jumper of her own. After Brooklyn Stinnett knocked down a shot for Bryan,
Shauna Fletcher-Hill went to the line for a pair of free throws. With 1:33 to go, Fletcher-Hill assisted an
Addison Cantrell jumper to open the lead to 27. Fletcher-Hill then made a jumper of her own to set the margin at 29 after three quarters of play.
After Davis moved the margin to 31 points just 22 seconds into the fourth, former Lady Eagle
Ashlyn Plott knocked down a three for Bryan. The Lions got it back within 25 midway through the fourth quarter before Faulkner put together one more overwhelming run. Smith turned a Rogers assist into a jumper with 3:49 left before Davis helped on a Traylor three. Back-to-back makes from
Avery Rogers ahead of a Fletcher-Hill layup moved the lead to 34. Davis knocked down a jumper with 48 seconds left to set the run at 13-2 and cap the scoring.
Six Lady Eagles scored in double figures in the contest, led by Rogers' 14 points. Rose added 13 while Davis and Smith had 12 apiece. Traylor and Douglas each finished with 10. Steward set the pace in sharing the ball as she matched her career high with nine assists.
Faulkner shot 44.7 percent from the floor while attempting 76 shots and limited Bryant to 38 percent on 47 attempts. The Lady Eagles won the rebounding battle 42-33 while also dominating points in the paint at 44-24. The bench outscored Bryan's reserves 36-23.
Faulkner (3-0) travels to Waleska, Ga. Friday to take on Reinhardt University.
