Eagles Take Season Opener

The Eagles tipped-off against Union College (Lincoln, NE) at home on Tuesday night in their season opener. Despite the slow start in the first half, the Eagles stepped up offensively in the second half and came away with a 56-37 victory over the Warriors.

The game had an unusual start, both teams struggling to get their first points, and remained scoreless for the first five minutes until Faith finally got their first shot to fall. Offense was in short supply for the first half, but the Eagles entered halftime holding a 19-16 lead over Union. Union shot just 7-35, while Faith was 8-28. Turnovers also proved to be a big problem in the first half, as the Eagles had already accumulated 17.

The Eagles settled in for the second half and looked to be over most of the first game nerves. They were able to work through many of their problems from the first half, including lowering their turnover count. Union stayed within range of the Eagles until the 12-minute mark, when Faith started a 13-2 run to put them up 45-28. Faith would maintain their lead and finish out the game winning 56-37. The Eagles were led in scoring by freshman Sam Pedersen with 22 points. Sophomore Tanner Van Beek garnered a double-double, ending with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Jason Conable dominated the glass and accounted for 18 of Faith's rebounds.

Faith will play back-to-back games this weekend in the annual Faith Classic. Their first opponent will be Trinity Bible College (Ellendale, ND) on Friday at 8 PM, followed by AFLBS (Plymouth, MN) on Saturday at 6 PM.