BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Paul Holmes and Jeff Lewis combined for 22 of Faulkner State’s 30-second-half points Monday night to help the Sun Chiefs maintain a double-digit lead and beat arch rival Bishop State 70-57 in Shaw High School’s gymnasium.

Holmes finished with a game-high 19 points, Moore scored 13 and Jeff Lewis turned in another double-digit scoring effort off the bench with 10 points to carry Faulkner to its seventh straight win and 10th in the Sun Chiefs’ last 11 games.

The Sun Chiefs, who lead the Alabama Community College Conference in field goal percentage defense, improved to 11-9 overall and 5-1 in Alabama Community Conference South Division play by allowing the Wildcats to sink only 36.2 percent of their floor shots, including only two of nine 3-point attempts.

Bishop led twice early after scoring the game’s first two points and again at 4-2 and 5-3 before a five-point FSCC spurt put the Sun Chiefs ahead to stay. Alex Easterling scored the go-ahead basket on a lay-up off one of six assists by Patrick Grant.

The Wildcats closed to 10-9 and then 13-11 when Kevin Lucious made a steal and drove for a lay-up with 11:35 left in the first half. A 3-pointer 34 seconds later ˙by back-up point guard Cedric Freeman started a 15-2 FSCC run to a 28-13 lead with 7:39 left.

Faulkner led 40-24 at halftime, stretched the lead to 55-30 on a Lewis lay-up with 11:20 to play and coasted to the win.

Anthino Finklea led Bishop State with 16 points. Jarrod Lewis added 14 points.

Moore led the Sun Chiefs rebounders with 11 and also had four assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Holmes grabbed nine rebounds to go with three assists and three steals. Freeman had four assists and three steals and David Johnson seven rebounds and three steals.

Fifteen of Bishop’s 21 turnovers were steals by the Sun Chiefs.

The game was played in Shaw High’s gym due to renovation work being done at Bishop State’s performing arts building/gymnasium. Faulkner’s next game is Thursday night at home in FSCC’s Robertson Arena/Sibert Gymnasium against Chattahoochee Valley of Phenix City. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

FSCC travels to Enterprise to play South Division leader Enterprise-Ozark at 7:30 p.m. Monday.