Strong Defensive Effort Pushes Eagles to Regional Semifinal

DUBUQUE, Iowa—The Faith Eagles men's basketball team held a streaky Central Christian College of the Bible (CCCB) squad to just 54 points Thursday in the nightcap of a busy day of regional action to advance to Friday's semifinal round.

Faith held CCCB to 3-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc and 39% overall. The Eagles led wire-to-wire, building their biggest lead of 17 points with 5:07 remaining in the game.

The defensive effort was the difference in the game as the Eagles also struggled to shoot the ball, connecting on just 38% of their shots. Faith turned 12 CCCB turnovers into 16 points, all while protecting the ball on their end, committing just four turnovers.

Chris Barnette recorded a triple-double for the Eagles with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Jared Pearson led the way in scoring with 16, and the bench made huge contributions with Josh Baucum (11 points), Seth Freeman (10 points), and Andy Hecker (9 points) playing significant roles in the win.

Prior to the game, Coach Brian Fincham was named the North Region Coach of the Year, Chris Barnette was named First Team All-Region, Jared Pearson was named Third Team All-Region, and Jayce Goergen was named Honorable Mention All-Region.

Faith has a tall task tonight as it takes on the top-ranked team in the nation in the coaches' poll, Crown College, at 7 p.m. in Dubuque. A win would be one of the biggest in school history and would place the Eagles in the regional championship on Saturday.