Faulkner Steamrolls Brewton Parker
Faulkner built a comfortable halftime lead then scored the first 13 points of the second half on the way to a 77-48 victory over Brewton-Parker Thursday night at Tine Davis Gymnasium in the Southern States Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
The 23rd-ranked Eagles (4-0, 1-0 SSAC) scored the game's first five points and never trailed, using their full-court pressure to take a 43-31 advantage after 20 minutes. The Barons (3-5, 0-1 SSAC) were then steamrolled at the outset of the final half, with Jon Uriarte scoring six points and Jammie Evans four in the run that pushed the lead to 54-31 with 14:01 to play. Brewton-Parker never reduced the deficit below 20 the rest of the way, with the Eagles' largest lead coming at 71-40 with 4:18 left.
"I thought this was our best game so far,'' Faulkner head coach Jim Sanderson said. "We played well defensively, and I also thought we worked for good shots and were patient offensively. I told the guys at halftime that I was pleased with the effort, and that I wanted them to back it up in the second half. They responded, and I was proud of them for that.''
Faulkner was led by freshman forward Ernest Jordan's 13 points. Brandon Vaughn added 12, all in the first half. Raul Cardenas and Richarde McCray both yanked down eight rebounds, leading a dominant Eagles' performance on the glass that resulted in a 42-21 advantage. Bryant Murray dished out a season-high nine assists as Faulkner shot 53 percent from the field. The Eagles held their fourth straight opponent to a shooting percentage of under 40 percent, with the Barons making only 34 percent of their shots.
Tony Deberry was the only Brewton-Parker player in double figures with 13.
Faulkner travels to Rome, Ga., Saturday for a 3 p.m. tip against Berry before returning home Monday night to host No. 4 Mountain State at Tine Davis Gymnasium. Monday's game starts at 7.