Wednesday, November 14, 2012 — The Pfeiffer men’s basketball team opened the 2012 regular season with two losses this weekend as the Falcons hosted the Best Western of Albemarle Highway 52 Shootout at Merner Gym. Livingstone College claimed the tournament championship with a 75-51 win Saturday over Catawba and a 74-51 win Sunday evening over the Dragons of Virginia University at Lynchburg.

Catawba 68

Pfeiffer 52

Pfeiffer struggled through a cold shooting afternoon on Sunday falling to visiting Catawba College 68-52 in the Best Western of Albemarle Highway 52 Shootout consolation game inside the Merner Gym.

Catawba's Lee Martin, named to the all-tournament team, hit a three midway through the first half to put the Indians up 11 after scoring five-straight points. After a shooting drought in the first, the Falcons would slice the lead down to four on a quick 5-0 run late in the period as a Joe Ledbetter basket and triple from AJ Clark made it 27-23 Catawba (1-1) with 90 seconds to play.

In a four-point, 40-36 game five minutes into the second, Catawba would bust out on a 14-2 run grabbing a 56-40 lead with 10:12 to play. Martin would spark the run adding five more points during his double-double afternoon.

Martin led all scorers with 20 points and 11 rebounds on the day while Tyrece Little chipped in with 16 while Nick Houston added 11. The Indians shot 44 percent from the field in their first win of the season.

Josh Humphrey paced the Falcons (0-2) with 10 points and eight rebounds being named as Pfeiffer's representative to the all-tournament.

Pfeiffer will now turn to their first road matchup of the season tonight traveling to St. Augustine's in Raleigh for a 7:30 p.m. matchup between a pair of Falcons.

CATAWBA (1-1)

Lee Martin 7-12 2-3 20; Tyrece Little 6-9 4-9 16; Nick Houston 4-11 0-0 11; Reggie Perkins 3-8 0-0 7; Julian Sampah 2-3 2-2 6; Maurice Knight 1-4 2-2 4; Chris Watson 0-2 2-2 2; Elon Edwards 1-5 0-0 2; Vismantas Marijosius 0-1 0-0 0; David Emerson 0-0 0-0 0; Ben Veshi 0-0 0-0 0; Michael Coleman 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals 24-55 12-18 68.

PFEIFFER (0-2)

Josh Humphrey 4-17 2-4 10; AJ Clark 3-6 1-2 9; Tariq Martin 2-4 4-5 8; Montez Singleton 2-5 1-3 5; Julian Chacon 1-4 2-2 4; Tayron Gibson 0-6 4-4 4; Joe Ledbetter 2-5 0-0 4; Mark Goods 1-4 0-0 3; David McNair 0-0 2-2 2; CJ Woodberry 1-2 0-0 2; Jerod Wallace 0-0 1-2 1; Silvere Aluko 0-0 0-1 0; Matt Ellwood 0-1 0-0 0; Cade Isley 0-0 0-0 0; Kenny Tappin 0-3 0-0 0; Armin Omanovic 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-58 17-25 52.

Catawba.......................   32   36  -   68

Pfeiffer......................      26   26  -   52

3-point goals--Catawba 8-24 (Lee Martin 4-6; Nick Houston 3-9; ReggiePerkins 1-4; Chris Watson 0-1; Elon Edwards 0-3; Vismantas Marijosius 0-1), Pfeiffer 3-21 (AJ Clark 2-4; Mark Goods 1-4; Julian Chacon 0-1; Tayron Gibson 0-3; Matt Ellwood 0-1; Kenny Tappin 0-2; Armin Omanovic 0-1; Tariq Martin 0-1; Josh Humphrey 0-4). Fouled out--Catawba-None, Pfeiffer-None. Rebounds--Catawba 42 (Lee Martin 11), Pfeiffer 39 (Josh Humphrey 8). Assists--Catawba 13 (Reggie Perkins 4), Pfeiffer 5 (Tariq Martin 2). Total fouls--Catawba 25, Pfeiffer 18. Technical fouls--Catawba-None, Pfeiffer-None. A-189

Virginia-Lynchburg 79

Pfeiffer 72

Despite shooting 18-of-31 from the free throw line, Virginia University of Lynchburg drained their final eight attempts in the final 50 seconds to stun Pfeiffer 79-72 in the second game of the Best Western of Albemarle Highway 52 Shootout inside Merner Gym.

A layup by Joe Ledbetter got the Falcons to within one at 71-70 with 56 seconds left in regulation. Lakuan McPhaul hit two free throws six seconds later before Egor Shakhmetov drained two more after a missed three-ball attempt by the Falcons. After a Montez Singleton layup with 31 seconds left, McPhaul and Dennis Gravely hit the final free throws to ice the win.

Earlier in the first half, the Falcons erased a 12-point deficit with 7:49 before the half to carry a three-point, 35-32 lead into the locker room. Silvere Aluko would make a pair of baskets while triples from Cade Isley and Josh Humphreyput the hosts their three at the break.

Both teams went back-and-forth early on in the second until an 11-1 run by the Dragons put them up 54-45 with 11:53 to play. Pfeiffer would keep chipping away midway through the period to eventual grab a 61-59 lead on another Humphrey triple. After another go-ahead bucket by the Falcons’ Tayron Gibson, a three-ball by McPhaul would allow enough breathing room for the Dragons to hit those late free throws and hold on at the end.

Virginia-Lynchburg was led by Gravely’s 30 points shooting 11-of-20 from the floor with nine rebounds.

Humphrey led the Falcons with 21 points and 13 rebounds while Gibson and Ledbetter each concluded with 10. Pfeiffer hit just 5-of-22 from the three-point arc.