PENSACOLA, Florida–Our Lady Eagles Basketball team had a chance to steal a victory late in regulation, but a shot with seconds left on the clock gave Faulkner University a 55-53 victory in tonight's non-conference home game.
Joy Smith led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 19 points and added 7 rebounds in the contest. The Lady Eagles saw two players finish in double-digits–Smith (19) and Boyd (10).  Emma Hardy recorded a team high three assists and two blocks. Jessica Boyd led the team with four steals.
In the first quarter, Faulkner University stormed out to an early lead over the Lady Eagles. Angela Grant, who scored 30 points against the Lady Eagles in October, scored 6 points of her game-high 18 points. The Lady Eagles struggled to get their offense going and ended the 1st quarter trailing Faulkner University 18-6.
The second quarter was a different story for the Lady Eagles. They were able to force multiple turnovers and turned those opportunities into strong offensive possessions. An and-one by Angela Grant gave Faulkner University an 18-point lead with eight minutes to go in the quarter, but the Lady Eagles countered by going on a 19-2 run, spearheaded by the play of Joy Smith. The Lady Eagles briefly retook the lead but ended the half trailing 29-28.
In the 2nd half, the Lady Eagles continued to battle Faulkner University. The visiting Eagles widened their lead to six points off a made three-pointer by Ashlyn Adkins with 4:27 left in the period. The Lady Eagles battled back late in the quarter, but ultimately trailed by three with one quarter to go.
The Lady Eagles clawed their way back into the game in the fourth quarter and regained the lead with 2 minutes left. The two teams battled down the stretch, but it was Faulkner University that ultimately secured a 55-53 victory over the Lady Eagles with a last second shot by Ashlyn Adkins.
"Faulkner is a great team." Head Coach Jared Sellars said afterwards, "These girls really got after it defensively and gave our team an opportunity to win this game late in regulation."
The loss drops the Lady Eagles to 7-5 after the early part of the season. The Lady Eagles will get a well-deserved breather over Thanksgiving break before returning to action on Tuesday, November 27 at 5:00 p.m. in Macon, GA against Wesleyan College.
