Faulkner comback drops Berry

November 22

Faulkner used a 15-2 run late in the second half to erase an eight-point deficit and escaped with a 64-62 victory over Berry here Saturday afternoon.

    The win was the Eagles sixth in a row and moved them atop the Southern States Athletic Conference standings at 2-0.

    Faulkner (6-1) trailed 46-38 with 9:42 left in the game, but Josh Gholston and Fred Foster each hit threes during the game-changing run, which resulted in a 53-48 lead with 4:32 left. The Vikings (4-4, 0-2 SSAC) battled back, however, and Daniel Ferguson's three-pointer gave Berry a 55-54 lead with 2:12 to play.

    The Eagles' De Hereford hit a 10-foot jumper on Faulkner's next possession to give Faulkner the lead for good. At the :58 mark, with Faulkner leading 59-58 and the shot clock winding down, Gholston buried a long three to give the Eagles a four-point lead. Berry never got closer than 2 the rest of the way, converting an uncontested bucket at the buzzer for the final margin.

    "They had dropped into a zone, and I like that shot from the top," said Gholston, who scored all eight of his points in the second half. "I really felt confident that I would hit it.''

For head coach Jim Sanderson, his team's progress in the season's early going has continued to amaze him.

    "With 12 new players it really is surprising how these guys have found their roles and have already become such a close group,'' Sanderson said. "I just thought it would take much longer for this team to understand what it takes to win in this league. I'm very proud of these guys. We're all very blessed.''

    Faulkner led by as many as 8 in the first half before closed the half on an 12-4 run to tie the game at 27 at intermission. Te Vikings scored the first basket of the second half and held the lead until Faulkner's second-half run seized control. The Eagles were led by Randell Moore's 13 points, while Foster added 12. Berry's Ferguson topped all scorers with 19.

    The Eagles won despite uncharacteristically getting dominated on the boards, with Berry outrebounding Faulkner 39-28. Faulkner outshot the Vikings 46 percent to 40 percent from the field, and only committed a season-low nine turnovers while forcing 13.

    Faulkner travels to Mobile Monday night to face Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 7.