Freshmen JJ Faulkner and Aiden Goins, teammates at Karns High School in Knoxville last year, combined to score 33 points to lead the Motlow Bucks to a 75-67 season-opening win over Itawamba on Wednesday in Fulton, MS. Itawamba was ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation in the NJCAA preseason poll.

Motlow (1-0) will stayed on the road and went to Birmingham to play Lawson State on Thursday, Nov. 9. The results of that contest were not available at press time.The Bucks open their home season at Nisbett Center on Monday, Nov. 13, with Itawamba paying a return visit at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $6 but Tullahoma High School students will be admitted free.

The Bucks trailed 36-34 at the half but stormed back to outscore the home team 41-31 in the final 20 minutes. Faulkner had a splendid college debut, scoring 15 points with nine assists, seven steals, and three rebounds.

Goins scored 18 points in only 22 minutes on the floor and added five rebounds and two steals. Winchester sophomore Debron Russell flirted with a double-double, scoring 10 points with nine rebounds.

Also playing in his first college game, freshman Anfernee Hanna, from the Bahamas, approached a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore LaVonte Harris added eight points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Fellow sophomore Lawrence Montgomery scored seven with five rebounds.

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