Women’s Basketball storms back to beat (RV) Faulkner in season opener

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (October 29, 2023) – The Milligan University women's basketball team outscored Faulkner 44-30 in the second half to earn a 74-71 victory in the Buffs' season opener in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.

Milligan opens the season with a win for the first time since 2017. Faulkner, who received votes in the NAIA preseason top 25 and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament last season, falls to 0-1.

After trailing by 11 at halftime and by 13 (43-30) early in the third quarter, Milligan began its comeback effort with back-to-back baskets by Halie Padgett and three-pointers by Lauren Longmire and Semaj Clark. A Kenzie Campbell three at the halfway point in the quarter trimmed the deficit to 45-43.

Emma Harig drained a pair of triples and a free throw to tie the game at 50 with three minutes left in the third. Faulkner scored the final basket of the quarter and held a 52-50 edge going into the fourth.

McKenna Meyers drained a three to give Milligan its first lead (53-52) since the first quarter. Longmire drained a pair of threes to help extend Milligan's edge to 61-56 with 6:51 remaining.

The Eagles cut the margin to one possession (67-64) with three minutes left but Padgett responded with a three-point play to go ahead 70-64 with 2:12 to play.

The Eagles made it a two-point game in the final minute but Longmire and Jaycie Jenkins both sank a pair of free throws and the Buffs stopped Faulkner on the final possession of the game to earn a 74-71 win.

The opening quarter featured seven lead changes as neither team led by more than a single possession through the first seven minutes of action. The Eagles sank three three-pointers in an 11-2 spurt to close the quarter with a 19-12 lead. The Buffs were limited to just one basket over the final six minutes of the opening quarter.

Faulkner grew its lead to 11 (29-18) three minutes into the second quarter but Milligan responded with seven-straight points to prompt an Eagles timeout up 31-28. Faulkner closed the second quarter on another 11-2 run over the final four minutes to lead 41-30 at the half.

Longmire scored 13 of her team-high 17 points in the second half. She added six rebounds and four assists.

Padgett scored 13 points and had eight rebounds. Jenkins added 11 points, Myers scored 10 and Harig had 10 points and five rebounds.

Clark had eight points and five assists. Madi Runnels pulled in nine rebounds and had three blocks.

Milligan outrebounded Faulkner 46-37 and held a 21-13 edge in bench points. The Buffs made 12 free throws at 80 percent while Faulkner made just nine free throws while shooting 42.9 percent from the charity stripe. The Buffs drained a dozen threes at 38.7 percent while Faulkner made nine threes at 38.1 percent.

The Buffs travel to No. 13 Cumberlands on Thursday.