MISENHEIMER, N.C. (Nov. 7, 2026) — Pfeiffer battled through a tightly contested first half before turnovers proved costly in a 105-85 home loss to Guilford on Saturday night at Merner Gym in the season opener.
The Falcons trailed just 44-43 at halftime and briefly reclaimed the lead early in the second half, but the Quakers used their pressure defense and transition offense to pull away. Guilford forced 33 turnovers and converted them into 33 points while scoring 34 fast-break points in the season-opening victory.
Antoine Piper and
Sunni Wrice led Pfeiffer with 18 points apiece. Piper knocked down three 3-pointers and added four steals, while Wrice scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
The Falcons built momentum midway through the first half behind Piper, who scored 10 points during a stretch that helped Pfeiffer turn a two-point deficit into a 24-19 lead. Later, Wrice and Piper connected on back-to-back 3-pointers as the Falcons moved in front 36-34.
Mikayle Oliphant added nine rebounds and six points for Pfeiffer, while
Chris McDonald provided a spark off the bench with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Skyler Scull finished with eight points and three assists, and
Jatavion Zellner contributed six points and six rebounds.
The game remained close early in the second half. A layup by Wrice gave the Falcons a 47-46 advantage with 18:19 remaining, but Guilford responded with a decisive run fueled by steals and fast-break baskets. The Quakers stretched the margin to double digits midway through the period and led by as many as 30 points down the stretch.
Despite the loss, Pfeiffer held a 46-37 rebounding advantage and received 29 points from its bench.
For Guilford (1-0), Braylen Salters scored a game-high 28 points, Reynolds Escher added 19 and Oliver Jones contributed 17 points and seven steals.
