MISENHEIMER — After dropping its first two USA South Athletic Conference games of the season, the Pfeiffer men’s basketball team has surged to the top of its league standings behind an eight-game winning streak.
The Falcons (12-8, 8-2 USA South), undefeated since Jan. 9, claimed sole possession of first place Saturday afternoon with a 71-69 road victory over second-place Southern Virginia.
Pfeiffer erased a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat the Knights (12-8, 8-2 USA South) in Buena Vista, Virginia, completing a season sweep of its conference foe.
Senior guard Clayton Robinson led the Falcons with 19 points and six rebounds, helping fuel Pfeiffer’s second-half rally. Fellow seniors Doug Smith and Sean Sucarichi added a combined 22 points and 11 rebounds in a balanced offensive effort.
Southern Virginia carried a 44-32 advantage into halftime, but Pfeiffer changed the narrative after the break with a dominant 39-25 second half. The Falcons forced 16 turnovers and outscored the Knights 20-12 in fast-break points, overcoming a 37.5% shooting performance from the field compared to SVU’s 44.8%.
Trailing by 14 points with 10:05 remaining, Pfeiffer caught fire with a decisive 19-0 run, holding the Knights scoreless for more than seven minutes as the Falcons went ahead 67-62.
Southern Virginia made multiple late pushes, cutting the deficit to two points on two separate occasions in the final two minutes, but Pfeiffer held on to seal the win. Both of the Knights’ conference losses this season have come at the hands of the Falcons.
SVU was led by Jude Ballstaedt’s game-high 22 points, while Ashton Davis chipped in 11.
Under ninth-year coach Pete Schoch, Pfeiffer’s season has undergone a dramatic turnaround. After stumbling to a 4-8 overall start and falling behind early in conference play, the Falcons now sit atop the USA South standings with four conference games remaining.
Last season, Pfeiffer captured both the regular-season and conference tournament titles during an 18-8 (12-2 conf.) campaign. This year’s team, currently the third-best offensive unit and sixth-best defensive unit in the league, has relied on balance, with seven players averaging more than seven points per game.
With the regular season winding down, Pfeiffer will look to fend off SVU and N.C. Wesleyan, the only other conference teams with winning league records. The Falcons will return to Merner Gym on Wednesday night to face Brevard before hosting Greensboro on Saturday.
Those two opponents have combined for a 6-13 record against conference competition.