Both teams weathered huge runs during the game, but Mountain State would go on the last run of the night, which came at a critical time. With 9:30 left in the game TC's Micah Hagens drained a three pointer to give TC a 68-67 lead. Mountain State replied with a 9-0 run to put them up 76-68 with 7:11 left in the game. Kerry Harvis and Phil Wood scored six points each, which helped TC cut the Mountain State lead down to 86-82 with 1:30 left in the game. That's as close as the Tornadoes would get as the Eagles closed the game out on a 10-3 run to seal their 22nd consecutive victory.

Hats off to Mountain State, they are solid team," Brown said. "I think tonight was more about us than Mountain State. I don't know if we understand how good we are. We can beat any Division I, any NAIA, any Division II, but I don't know where our faith is in each other and what we can do and what we are trying to do in this program.

"We are hanging around in every game; lead change after lead change, but like I said our faith. Faith is not something that you just say; it is something that you do, it is your action on the floor, how hard you work on the floor, how aggressive you are offensively or defensively. Like I said Mountain State is a decent team."

"That was a hard one," Mountain State head coach Bob Bolen said. "I say Talladega is as good as any team that we have played this year. They have size, they have great guard play, good atmosphere to play in front of and I thought it was a great game."

In the first half senior guard Hagens came out and got hot early as he scored 12 early points, which helped the Tornadoes jump out to a 36-30 lead with 4:14 left in the half. Mountain State responded as they went on a 16-2 run to give the Eagles a 46-36 going into the locker room.

"A lot people wouldn't expect that we played witin 10 (points) of the number one team in the NAIA," Brown said. "You've seen, the crowd has seen, the coaching staff has seen us play better basketball than that. The end of first half, the last 10 minutes they went on a 20-0 run. We had them down by 10 and they go up by 10.

"We get right back into the game in the second half, we make an 18-2 run and we end going up quick. That just shows you what we are capable of. We know what we have the potential to do. But potential doesn't mean nothing if it is just sitting there."

The Tornadoes used their strong guard play to get back into the game in the second half. TC opened the half on a 24-7 run. Kerry Harvis capped off the run with a three pointer to give TC a 60-57 lead with 14:38 left in the half.

Brown believes if his team begins to motivate themselves, play hard for 40 minutes each and every game they will be champions at the end of the season.

"Keep working them, keep encouraging them," Brown said when asked how to get the full potential from his team. "I am a different style coach; I believe in positive reinforcement. Sometimes I want to let them have it, but that is what they expect. I'm going to give them something else. I'm going to throw them a curve ball. They have to learn to motivate themselves and they have to learn to encourage themselves.

"Once we start doing that we will be the national champions again. We have eight or nine games to figure it out, how to motivate, how to encourage each other and play together for 40 minutes. If we can figure that out between now and whenever the tournament is you're looking at the national champions. But it is already said, it is already done, it is up to us to make this happen. It is up to us to have faith in each other, in what we are doing and what we are trying to build here."

The Tornadoes trio of guards led the way for them again. Hagens led the way with 26 points, Phil Wood scored 25 points and Harvis scored 22 points.

Marcus Hunter led the way with 28 points for Mountain State.

The Tornadoes take on Oakwood College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.