Faulkner University

…Again

Faulkner fans celebrate the win

Feb. 26, 2008

Montgomery, Ala. – The first time Faulkner and Auburn Montgomery went up against each other this season the Senators were ranked No. 20 in the nation and  the Eagles destroyed them 86-65. But a lot has changed since then. Auburn Montgomery exploded onto an eight game winning streak including the upset of then No. 3 ranked Lee University. Tonight the Senators had home court advantage and held the No. 14 spot in the most recent NAIA poll. This time the point spread was different, but the outcome the same; the Eagles rallied for a 76-65 upset.

Richard McCray breaks away from the pack in the second half

Durell Richardson puts in two points for the Eagles in the second half

     The first half saw back and forth lead changes, but culminated with a solid effort by the Senators who held a 13 point advantage at the break. The Eagles gave up a staggering 16 turnovers in the first half and were held to only four points in the last four minutes of play. The Senators were hot and their fans eager to finally get back on the winning side of the rivalry. But the Eagles had other plans and aggressive second half play put the Senators in the losers column for the fifth consecutive time in regular season play.  

Faulkner beat Auburn Montgomery in every aspect of the evening, including the halftime competition. Here, Justin Barnes finishes the free throw tic-tac-toe event

The Auburn Montgomery honor students devise intensely complex cheers like "Sweat-er-vest" and "It's past curfew" while looking for their T-shirts 

"Jo Mo" is perplexed by the Senator fan wit

     The Eagles’ assault was led by senior guard Richarde McCray who lead the team with 18 points, while adding eight rebounds, two assists and a steal. McCray played like a warrior in the second half and spearheaded the Faulkner rally. Jon Uriarte dropped in 15 points and grabbed four boards when not offering a pair of assists, throwing two blocks and getting a steal. Durell Richardson was also a presence down low matching McCray’s eight rebounds, while putting up 10 points of his own. DaeArtis Halliburton put in 11 points including a momentum shifting three-pointer. He also had five boards and three big blocks.

DaeArtis Halliburton knocks down a big three in the second half

Jeremy Lunn puts in a pair of points for the Eagles

     The Senators scored 41 points in the first half while holding the Eagles to only 28. Faulkner, however, put up 48 points in the second period and the Senators struggled to get 24. Auburn Montgomery saw their 13 point lead begin to fade culminating in an 11 point loss. As the defeat became imminent frustrations climaxed and tempers flew. With only a few minutes remaining in regulation the officials suspended the game for approximately 15 minutes while trying to sort out the conflict. It was an unfortunate event for both sides, but ultimately the result of disappointment more so than genuine aggression. Both teams and coaching staffs have the utmost respect for each other.

Head coach Jim Sanderson motivates his players during the rally

Aaron Greenwood tosses in two of his four points

    Faulkner will host its final game of the season against Emmanuel on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.  There is still a lot of basketball yet to be played and if the Eagles can hold their fire the end of this season is no where in sight. “Ultimately we want to make it back to Kansas City,” said senior Richard McCray in a radio interview after the game. “We have unfinished business there.” In a season filled with ups and downs the best seems yet to come. As the Senators found out this evening, remember, never count the Eagles out.