MISENHEIMER — Five games into its nonconference schedule, the Pfeiffer men’s basketball team has come away with three wins.
Under the leadership of fourth-year coach Pete Schoch, the Falcons (3-2, 0-0 USA South) opened the year on Nov. 13 with an 83-76 home win over Covenant but sustained a 77-75 home loss to Berry the following night.
The team also won one of its next two.
Pfeiffer traveled to Charlotte on Nov. 19 and defeated Johnson & Wales 108-95. The road trip continued the next night into Salem, Virginia, where the Falcons fell 96-72 to Roanoke.
On Nov. 23, the Falcons picked up a 67-64 road win against Virginia Wesleyan (3-3, 0-0) as senior guard Jerome Savoy hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to play.
Last season, the Falcons ended their condensed season on a seven-game winning streak, defeating Averett on March 7 to win the men’s basketball program’s first-ever USA South Conference East Division title. It marked the Falcons’ first men’s championship since they were a member of Conference Carolinas (NCAA Division II) in 2017.
The Falcons have retained many of the key players from last year’s championship-winning roster.
Savoy currently leads his team in scoring with 15 points per game while also grabbing 4.6 rebounds per game. He leads the Falcons with 15 3-pointers made.
In two of the Falcons’ five games, guard Craig Sabb led the team in scoring. The graduate student notched 15 points versus Berry and 21 points against Johnson & Wales, and he is averaging 10.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Sophomore forward Doran Miles — coming off a rookie campaign where he had team-highs in field goals made (54) and rebounds (8.2 per game) — has averaged 10.8 points and 7.4 rebounds so far this season.
With 17 different players who have scored points, Pfeiffer has spread the ball around with a heavy reliance on 3-point shooting and quick substitution cycles. The Falcons have made 41% of their long-range shots, converting 9.6 3-pointers per game.
Four other seniors — forward Sean Scott and guards Donnie Haith, D.J. Bradsher and Taylan Rowe — have contributed to Schoch’s rotation.
The Falcons’ victory over Virginia Wesleyan on Monday marks their last game until regular conference action begins with a road trip to Southern Virginia on Dec. 4.