Falcons surge with fourth straight USA South win

Published 2:56 pm Wednesday, January 21, 2026

MISENHEIMER — With four consecutive USA South Athletic Conference victories, the Pfeiffer men’s basketball team has quickly reversed course after a seven-game losing streak that stretched back to November.

The Falcons (8-8, 4-2 USA South) have surged back to the .500 mark overall and currently sit fourth in the conference standings behind Southern Virginia, N.C. Wesleyan and Methodist following a strong January run.

Pfeiffer capped its recent hot stretch Saturday afternoon with an 88-78 road win at rival Greensboro, giving the Falcons four league victories after opening USA South play with an 0-2 start.

The Falcons began January with narrow road losses at N.C. Wesleyan and Methodist before rebounding with a decisive home win over Southern Virginia. Pfeiffer followed that with an overtime home victory against Mary Baldwin and a nine-point road win at Brevard, setting the stage for its latest road triumph in Greensboro.

Playing at Hanes Gym, Pfeiffer erased a 37-31 halftime deficit with a dominant second half to pull away from the Pride by 10 points.

Senior guard Sean Sucarichi led the Falcons with a career-high 24 points, adding seven rebounds and three assists. Fellow senior guard Clayton Robinson contributed 20 points and five rebounds, while senior forward Justin Gaten finished with 12 points.

Former North Stanly standout Doug Smith anchored the interior with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks, recording the second triple-double of his collegiate career.

Pfeiffer seized control early in the second half by opening on an 11-0 run sparked by Sucarichi’s perimeter scoring and Smith’s presence in the paint. The Falcons took the lead for good midway through the second half and maintained control down the stretch.

Now in his ninth season, coach Pete Schoch has the Falcons aiming to repeat as USA South regular-season and conference tournament champions; Pfeiffer finished 18-8 overall and 12-2 in league play last season.

Offensively, the Falcons rank third among the USA South’s 10 teams at 79.5 points per game. Smith has been central to that production, ranking third in the conference in scoring at 16.3 points per game and first in rebounding (9.1), blocks (three) and field-goal percentage (.636).

Defensively, Pfeiffer allows 81.4 points per contest, placing the Falcons sixth in the league in that category.

Pfeiffer returned home Tuesday to host Methodist and will travel to Raleigh on Saturday to face William Peace before hosting nonconference opponent Christopher Newport on Sunday afternoon.