In a season of rise and fall scenarios, the University of Montevallo Falcons are back soaring upward with a peak nowhere near in sight.

Since losing three straight games over Christmas break and trailing 33-15 to the University of Alabama-Huntsville with eight minutes to play in the first half on the first day of spring classes, the Falcons have been soaring high. The Falcons overcame the 18-point deficit to defeat UAH for the eighth-straight time and end their losing streak.

&8220;Once we did that, we knew what our potential was,&8221; said pre-season All-American forward Marcus Kennedy.

Since that victory, the Falcons have dominated their opponents, winning by an average of 27.6 points per game.

&8220;I pretty much knew it was there,&8221; Kennedy said of the sudden offensive boom. &8220;If you&8217;ve noticed all of our games, we&8217;ve always had high scoring games, but our opponents have been scoring as many, if not more than us. Our problem came down to our defense.&8221;

The Falcons seem to be in the right direction toward solving the defensive problem, as they held Valdosta State University to just 31.6 percent shooting in an 81-68 road victory Monday to take first place in the Gulf South Conference East Division.

&8220;We did something (Monday) that we normally don&8217;t do. A lot of times we come out real flat and let other teams set the pace, but we set the pace (that night),&8221; Kennedy said.

The defensive stop was the first time in seven games the Falcons have held their opponent to less than 70 points in a game, something they have done 11 times in their first 12 games of the season.

&8220;We&8217;ve really, really been working hard in practice to get better in rebounding, and that&8217;s been the big difference in our play,&8221; said head coach Danny Young.

The work in practice has paid off, as the Falcons have out-rebounded their opponents by a margin of 11.5 per game. That margin held true Monday, as Montevallo crashed the boards 49 times, including 36 defensive rebounds, to the Blazers&8217; 36 total rebounds.

While Young and his players seek defensive improvement to continue their success, they are happy about the wide variety of scoring, as four players have averaged 10 points or more in the past five games.

&8220;I&8217;m loving it,&8221; Kennedy said. &8220;As long as somebody is scoring, I don&8217;t mind. Both [Greg Brown and I] were coming in as pre-season All-Americans. I&8217;ve never told him to stop shooting and he&8217;s never told me to stop shooting.&8221;

Brown is fast on the heels of UM all-time leading scorer Kennedy, as he has 995 points in a season and a half. Kennedy has nearly 1,800 in three and a half.

&8220;I&8217;ve always had a scoring mentality,&8221; said Brown. &8220;I&8217;ve been spending extra time in the gym and working out on the elliptical. I&8217;ve got a little more of my legs under me now.&8221;

Brown has been solid from both the field and free throw line down during the streak,

However, he is quick to give credit to another Brown on the team, freshman Anthony Brown.

&8220;He&8217;s been playing big for us the past four or five games,&8221; said Greg Brown.

Anthony has stepped up his scoring during the streak to shoot 14-of-18 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free throw line for 36 points, an average of 7.2 per game, up nearly two points from his season average.

With the All-American duo of Kennedy and GB, the Falcons will now move forward as the division leader with seven conference games to go.

&8220;With only six teams in our league, it&8217;s imperative that we get here now. We might as well take first now, we&8217;ve had the target on our back anyway,&8221; said head coach Danny Young. &8220;The struggle now is to keep it.&8221;

UM will host the University of West Alabama Saturday at 7:30 p.m.