NEWPORT NEWS, Va. --The Pfeiffer men's basketball team got a 49-point performance from the bench, but fell 71-70 to the Roanoke Maroons at Freeman Center on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Division III Basketball Tournament
The Falcons (18-8) had two players score in double figures, led by Daymon Beckwith, who had 20 points and two steals. Donte Forrester-Jhagroo added 17 points from the bench and Sean Sucarichi added six points and three blocks.
Pfeiffer took advantage of great ball movement in Friday's game, piling up 16 assists on 22 made field goals. Individually, Drake Stewart lent a helping hand the most for the Falcons with three assists.
Pfeiffer did a great job disrupting Roanoke shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Sucarichi's three rejections led the way individually for the Falcons.
How It Happened
After falling behind 25-24, Pfeiffer went on a 10-0 run with 4:05 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Forrester-Jhag, to take a 34-25 lead. The Falcons then added one point to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 38-28 advantage. Pfeiffer capitalized on eight Roanoke turnovers in the period, turning them into 12 points on the other end of the floor.
Following intermission, Pfeiffer kept widening that lead, expanding it to 50-39 before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Beckwith's three, to grow the lead to 57-39 with 11:43 to go in the contest. Roanoke then asserted control, outscoring the Falcons 32-13 the rest of the way to hand Pfeiffer the 71-70 loss. Pfeiffer got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 26 of its 32 total points.
Game Notes
» The Falcons put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 73 percent of made baskets.
» The Pfeiffer bench came alive by scoring 49 points to its scoring output.
» Daymon Beckwith and Donte Forrester-Jhag came off the bench to score 20 and 17 points, respectively.
» Pfeiffer lost despite a 40-38 rebounding advantage.
» The Falcons were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team.
» Pfeiffer cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Daymon Beckwith led the Falcons with a game-high 20 points.
» Pfeiffer got a team-high nine rebounds from Clayton Robinson.
With the loss, the Falcons complete their season at 18-8 overall and claimed the USA South regular season and tournament championships.