MOUNT VERNON, Ga. - Faulkner came away with a hard-fought victory Thursday night, knocking off the top seed in the SSAC East Brewton-Parker with an 80-76 victory, riding a 13-1 run in the middle of the second half to the lead sufficient to hold on to complete the season sweep of the Barons in a game that lived up to the SSAC Game of the Week billing.
The game was neck-and-neck for the first 20 minutes with neither team leading by more than five after the first half which was the difference the Barons led by going into the locker rooms. BPCU scored the first four points of the second half to jump to a 40-31 lead before
Tanner Vogel got a second-chance layup to go at the 18 minute mark.
Kamal Green II followed on another second chance bucket, but this one from long range with an assist from
Micah Thomas. The next possession, Thomas found Green again whose second three in as many trips and shots made it a one-point game.
Levi White got on the receiving end of another Thomas assist on the next possession to take the lead with 15:56 to go.
The Barons scored the next three to take a 43-41 lead, but
Malachi Smith was fouled shooting a three where he connected on the trio of free throws to regain the lead for
Scott Sanderson's squad with 13:53 to play. Green hit two more free throws and the spark was lit with a jumper from Green with 12:14 to go. Faulkner scored on three consecutive possessions to take a 54-44 lead capped off from a Vogel alley-oop received from Thomas.
Contrasting the January 15 meeting in Tine Davis, Brewton-Parker responded to the haymaker on their home floor of Gillis Gymnasium where they had lost just once prior to Thursday's matchup. Faulkner saw its lead cut to one with 7:14 to go but White and
Francois-Dony Baba found buckets to extend it back to five. With 5:16 to go, Faulkner led 64-60 and got two big buckets from
Gabriel Rivera to open it back to eight with 4:17 to go and the Eagles were able to hold on for the important SSAC victory.
The Eagles (11-3 SSAC) kept pace behind William Carey who sits a half game ahead of Faulkner at 11-2 and ahead of Loyola (10-3) who both picked up victories at home Thursday night.
Green ended with a career high 23, breaking his 21 point previous total set twice in the previous five games. Vogel's 15 points coupled 14 rebounds for his fifth straight game with double-figure rebounds and fourth double-double in the last five and sixth since the New Year. Rivera added 13 points. Thomas ended the night with six assists and
Jordyn Turner-Durley three.
Faulkner travels to Point Saturday for another installment in the Battle of I-85. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. central.
