ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (Feb. 20, 2024) --Freshman Lola Cabiness-Ali totaled 10 rebounds, but the Pfeiffer women's basketball team fell to the North Carolina Wesleyan Battling Bishops 69-54 in the first round of the uSA South Tournament on Tuesday night.
The Falcons (8-17) had three players score in double figures, led by sophomore Miya Horton, who had 14 points and two steals. Junior Kenadie Hudler added 13 points and two steals and sophomore Hannah Isley chipped in with 12 points, two steals and three blocks.
Cabiness-Ali pulled down six offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Pfeiffer, grabbing 13 boards and turning them into four second chance points.
The Pfeiffer defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Tuesday's game, forcing 20 North Carolina Wesleyan turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 20 points on the offensive end of the floor. Mara Ochoa-Contreras led the way individually for the Falcons with three steals.
How It Happened
Pfeiffer struggled out of the gate, falling behind 16-9 at the end of the first quarter.
The Falcons continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 37-19 halftime deficit.
Pfeiffer came out of halftime on fire, going on a 10-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Horton, to trim its deficit to 37-29 with 6:04 to go in the third. North Carolina Wesleyan countered and stretched its lead to 45-34 heading into the fourth. Pfeiffer played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 15 points in the paint.
North Carolina Wesleyan kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 47-34 advantage before Pfeiffer went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Isley's three, to shrink the deficit to 47-39 with 8:43 to go in the contest. North Carolina Wesleyan responded and outscored the Falcons the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 69-54. Pfeiffer took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 20 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Falcons shot well from three point range, knocking down seven of 17 long range attempts.
» The Pfeiffer defense forced 20 turnovers.
» Pfeiffer cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Miya Horton led the Falcons with 14 points.
» Pfeiffer got a team-high 10 rebounds from Lola Cabiness-Ali.
With the loss, Pfeiffer concludes the season with a 8-16 overall record and finished 6-12 in USA South play.
