MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Jaden Faulkner buoyed the Marauders in the first half, and James Sullivan carried the scoring load in the second half as the Millersville men's basketball team overcame a rough offensive outing to beat USciences 61-56 to improve to 4-0 on the season. 

After burying each of their first three opponents by 21 points and scoring more than 80 in each of those games, there were no style points for the Marauders in their first road game of the season. They committed 24 turnovers, shot 36.8% from the field, 3-of-16 (.188) from three and 16-of-30 (.533) from the line. The Marauders' saving grace was their defense, which forced 22 turnovers, including a pair of back-to-back steals from Ryan Davis that helped the Marauders clinch the win late. USciences became Millersville's fourth-straight victim to shoot under 40% from the field as it finished at 35.1%. 

Faulkner, who recorded his second-straight double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, scored 13 points in the first half to keep the Marauders afloat. Sullivan finished with 15, making 7-of-8 free throws, and he scored 13 of Millersville's first 17 points in the second half. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
• Two buckets from USciences' Jordan Davidson sandwiched around a Joemel McNair free throw gave the Devils a 55-53 lead with 4:46 remaining. But the Marauders defense dug in, holding the Devils to just one point--a free throw with 1:59 remaining--the rest of the way. With Millersville trailing by two, Khari Williams picked off a Devils' backcourt pass and fed Faulkner for a layup, tying the game with 3:47 to play. Williams made 1-of-2 free throws on Millersville's next trip for a one-point Millersville lead. Then, Davis stole the ball and out-raced the defense for a breakaway slam. Davis swiped the ball away from Matthew McCafferty again on the very next possession. 
• A Caden Najdawi free throw with 2:25 left put the Marauders up 59-55, but Austin Kennedy made the front end of a 1-and-1 to pull USciences back within one score. Millersville turned it over on its next offensive possession, but USciences gave it right back. Following a Faulkner miss, Williams grabbed a key offensive rebound, was fouled, and sank two free throws to put the game out of reach. Millersville held USciences to just seven points over the final eight minutes. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Faulkner and Sullivan played all 40 minutes. 
• Davis scored a season-high eight points, added six rebounds, blocked two shots and matched Sullivan with a team-high three steals. 

NOTES
• Millersville has improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2002-03. 
• Millersville has held each of its first four opponents to 64 points or fewer and has won the rebounding battle with at least 41 rebounds in all four games. 

UP NEXT
• Millersville's home game against Penn State Brandywine, originally scheduled for Nov. 23, has been postponed until Dec. 31. The Marauders return to action on Monday, Nov. 29 at home against Virginia Union, which started the season with a loss to Shippensburg and a win over Mansfield.