Maryville tops Pfeiffer in Season Ppener
ROME, Ga. (Nov. 7, 2025) — Pfeiffer University mounted a spirited second-half comeback but ultimately fell short in its season opener, dropping an 84–72 decision to Maryville  on Friday night at The Cage Center.
The Falcons (0–1) trailed 39–30 at halftime but outscored the Scots 42–45 in the second half, led by forward
DeJaun Sidney's 14 points and
Doug Smith's all-around effort with 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Pfeiffer dominated the paint with 44 points inside and got a boost from its bench, which contributed 23 points.
Drake Stewart added 12 points for Pfeiffer, including a perfect 6-for-10 from the free-throw line, while
Sean Sucarichi chipped in 10 points and
Doug Smith dished out three assists.
Maryville (1–0) was paced by Chase Morgan, who poured in a game-high 25 points and grabbed four rebounds. Matthew Schneider added 17 points and eight boards, while the Scots capitalized on Pfeiffer's 17 turnovers, converting them into 18 points.
Despite shooting just 13 percent from beyond the arc (2-for-15), Pfeiffer stayed competitive by attacking the rim and converting 16 of 23 free throws. The Falcons tied the game seven times and held nine brief leads but couldn't overcome Maryville's 28 made free throws and 11 steals.
The Falcons will return to the floor on Saturday afternooon at 1:00 p.m. to take on Centenary (La.).
