Faulkner to face AUM again in tourney's first round

March 1

When the pairings for the upcoming Southern States Athletic Conference tournament were announced late Saturday, one first-round matchup caught the interested eye of many. For the third time this season, cross-town rivals Faulkner and Auburn Montgomery will mix it up on the basketball floor.

    This time, however, the two will head to Georgia to do it. The Eagles, 16-13 overall and the eighth seed in the tournament, face the Senators, 23-5 and regular season champions, Thursday afternoon at 5. Auburn Montgomery won both of the previous meetings - 66-61 on its home court and 73-57 at Faulkner. Thursday's game can be heard on WLWI-AM1440 or on the web at faulkner.edu.

    The Senators have already clinched a berth the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City. The Eagles must win the eight-team SSAC tourney to advance. The winner of the Faulkner-AUM game will face the Shorter-Southern Poly winner Friday night at 7. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m.