A WEEK TO REMEMBER ...
Faulkner rolls in NAIA tourney
The Faulkner men's basketball team enjoyed a great week at the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City, making it all the way to the Fab Four and seeing one of its student-athletes honored in the Champions of Character program.
Jim Sanderson's Eagles received a bid to the national tournament for the seventh time in nine years, winning the SSAC regular season title. Struggles in February, however, left the team not highly thought of heading into the 32-team event. But four days and three games later, the Eagles had earned the program's second-ever berth in the Fab Four. And despite the fact that eventual national champion Oklahoma City put an end to the run in the semifinals, it was a week to remember for the Faulkner faithful.
It all began the night before the tournament was to start, when redshirt freshman guard Justin Barnes was honored at the players' banquet. Barnes was named one of four recipients of a Champions of Character $2,000 scholarship, sponsored by Dr. Phil and Mary Pattison of Kansas City. Barnes is a business administration major and has been named to the Dean's List. The Mobile native is very active at his church and around the Faulkner campus. Ironically, Dr. Pattison and his wife were Faulkner's honorary coaches for the Eagles national championship run in 2001.
The excitement surrounding Barnes' honor transferred to the court Thursday night. Faulkner opened against 11th-seeded San Diego Christian - the co-champion of the Golden State Athletic Conference - in the last first-round game. The Eagles and the Hawks battled most of the night - and early morning. Faulkner's Brandon Vaughn hit a long three to send the game into overtime, and the Eagles dominated from there on the way to an 86-76 victory. Six Faulkner players - Richarde McCray (17), Bryant Murray (16), Brandon Vaughn (15), Josh Gholston (12), Jon Uriarte (10) and Aaron Greenwood (10) - scored in double figures, a team season high.
In the Sweet 16 round Faulkner faced McKendree (Ill.) - a team it beat on the way to the 2001 title. The Eagles remained hot from the field, and rode the strong play of Jammie Evans and McCray to an 87-79 victory and a berth in the Elite Eight. Evans finished with a game-high 25 points, while McCray added 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Next was Northwestern Oklahoma State of the Sooner Athletic Conference, and the Eagles blistered the Rangers 76-59. Murray had 15 points and eight assists, with Evans adding 14, Greenwood 12 and McCray nine points and nine rebounds.
In the Fab Four, Oklahoma City built an early lead and held off numerous Faulkner runs, winning 76-71. The Stars won the national championship the next night with a win over Concordia (Calif.).
"What a great run it was for our basketball team,'' Sanderson said. "Our guys played hard, and got back the mentality we had early in the season. I think making the Fab Four again will impact our off-season program, and hopefully be used as a springboard into next year.''
Evans was selected to the NAIA's all-tournament team, while Uriarte was tabbed an NAIA honorable mention All-American.