Faulkner University

Eagles Lose to NCAA Division I Auburn

By Jeremy D. Smith

Jim Sanderson’s Eagles were unable to overcome 30 turnovers, falling 87-75 to the Auburn Tigers at Beard-Eaves Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 3. The game was the final exhibition contest before Faulkner opens NAIA competition Monday.

The Eagles relied on the quickness and sharp-shooting of their athletic backcourt to push them to a 17-15 lead with only eight minutes remaining in the first half. However, it was at that point ball control became a problem. The Tigers used the Faulkner miscues to feed their transition game, outscoring the Eagles 32-17 down the stretch to take a 47-34 halftime lead. 

"Those guys were a lot stronger than the teams we usually play," junior co-captain Rich McCray said. "We hung in there with them for a while. We felt pretty good about that. It was fun."

Sanderson commented that he was pleasantly surprised with his team’s offensive output during the first half.  The Eagles went 6-11 from behind the arc in the first period of play and shot 42 percent from the field. 

The Eagles improved their shooting in the second half, hitting 55 percent of their shots in the final 20 minutes of play. 

"We didn't really run an offense," Sanderson said. "It was just juking, chucking and ducking. We seemed to relax as the game went on."

The team’s impressive shooting notwithstanding, Faulkner struggled to move the ball inside.  Auburn used its length to deny entry passes to the Eagles’ big men.

However, despite the Eagles’ smaller lineup, they out rebounded the Tigers in the game. Rebounding has been one of Sanderson’s chief concerns heading into the season.

Faulkner’s primary glass-cleaner on the night was McCray who finished with eight points and seven rebounds. Junior Jon Uriarte led the team in scoring with 11 points. Junior guard Bryant Murray collected six rebounds to accompany his nine points and four assists.  Freshman Ernest Jones displayed a great deal of hustle, finishing the night with eight points and six rebounds.