Faulkner bench, defense stop AUM in 59-45 SSAC victory

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner got a combined 20 points off the bench from Emma Herren and Savana Flack and held Auburn Montgomery to 23 percent shooting as the Lady Eagles were in control throughout in a 59-45 Southern States Athletic Conference rivalry victory in front of a boisterous crowd at Tine Davis Gymnasium.

Herren had 11 and Flack nine in reserve rolls, as Faulkner won its fourth straight conference game to move to 6-5 in the league standings. Reed Sutton’s team improved to 10-11 overall and won its ninth game in 11 tries against the Warhawks since the inception of the Faulkner program six seasons ago. AUM, which received votes in the latest Coaches Top 25 poll, dropped to 16-7 overall and 7-4 in the SSAC.

“That was our most complete game of the season, there’s no doubt about that,” Sutton said. “It was one of the best executions of a defensive game plan I’ve ever been a part of, and I’m  extremely proud of this team for being up for the moment. The crowd and the atmosphere was great, and it’s good when your team responds in a positive way.”

Faith LeGate led the Lady Eagles with 16 points and six rebounds, with China Leary matching Herren’s 11 points. Leary added six assists and five rebounds for Faulkner, which got a game-high 15 rebounds from Olivia Adamson. Jatoria Carter’s 27 points and Kaylon Withrow’s 14 paced the Warhawks’ effort, with the two combining for all but four of AUM’s points. Three-time SSAC Player of the Week Reggotta Craig, who entered the game averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds, was held scoreless by the Lady Eagles. She did have 10 rebounds.

Faulkner led by five at the half, and took a six-point lead to what proved to be a decisive fourth quarter. The Lady Eagles built the lead to 10 on a Shelby Williams’ layup with 8:48 left. Carter answered with six straight points to trim the margin to four, but LeGate had five points in a run that concluded with a Herren 3-pointer for a 54-41 advantage with 4:12 to play. The closest AUM could get from there was 11 points.

“The effort off the bench by Emma and Savana was outstanding, and China continues to play exceptionally well at the point,” Sutton said. “This is her team when she’s out there, and we need her to continue to play that way. Holding Craig was certainly a key, but you never expect a player of her caliber to zero points. It was just a great afternoon for our team. We now have to keep it going moving forward.”

Despite the early foul trouble, the Lady Eagles’ defense held the Warhawks to just 18 percent shooting in the first two quarters. Leading 14-9 with 2:31 to play in the first quarter, AUM went more than eight minutes without scoring as Faulkner sprinted to 19-14 advantage. The Lady Eagles held the lead for much of the rest of the half, with Herren’s 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer sending Faulkner to the locker room on top 24-19.

The Lady Eagles host league foe Brenau Thursday evening at 5:30 at Tine Davis Gymnasium.