MISENHEIMER — Now at 10 consecutive victories, the Pfeiffer men’s basketball team remains alone at the top of the USA South Athletic Conference standings entering the final week of the regular season.
The Falcons (14-8, 10-2 USA South), undefeated since Jan. 9, downed rival Greensboro 82-64 on Saturday afternoon in Misenheimer, controlling the game from start to finish to keep their winning streak intact.
Pfeiffer built a 37-29 halftime lead and never allowed the Pride (9-14, 5-7 USA South) to take the advantage, outscoring Greensboro by 10 points in the second half to secure the 18-point victory.
Although the Falcons never trailed, coach Pete Schoch said it took time for his team to fully seize control.
“We couldn’t really get over the top and really try to put them in a position that we wanted them in, which was really controlling the game,” Schoch said. “We got there in the second half but you wish it was sooner. But all in all, it’s a great group of kids who work really hard. I don’t think they ever lose confidence in themselves.”
Former North Stanly standout and Pfeiffer senior Doug Smith anchored the Falcons with 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting and added 10 rebounds for a double-double; Pfeiffer held a 48-38 rebounding advantage.
Senior guard Sean Sucarichi notched 16 points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Drake Stewart provided a spark off the bench with 14 points and seven rebounds. Senior forwards Justin Gaten and Zach Sloan each finished with nine points.
Greensboro was led by Will Gray with 17 points.
The victory keeps Pfeiffer one game ahead of second-place N.C. Wesleyan and two games clear of third-place Southern Virginia in the conference standings.
After dropping its first two games of the season and stumbling to a 4-8 start, Pfeiffer has surged to the top of the league, continuing the momentum from last season’s 18-8 (12-2 USA South) campaign in which the Falcons captured both the regular-season and conference tournament titles.
Pfeiffer hosted William Peace on Tuesday in its final regular-season home game.
“In this next game against William Peace, should we come out on top we will have guaranteed ourselves at least a share of the conference title,” Schoch said. “That hasn’t been done here in back-to-back years since 1995, so there’s a lot of motivation for the kids. I think if they need any more than that, then you have to check for a pulse.”
The Falcons will travel to Staunton, Virginia, on Saturday to face Mary Baldwin. The USA South Tournament begins Feb. 24, with the championship scheduled for Feb. 28.