MISENHEIMER, N.C. - The Tornados made a furious comeback against Pfeiffer on Tuesday night, but the homestanding Falcons converted on five of their six free throw attempts over the final 29 seconds to ice the game and earn a 73-68 victory.
Brevard (0-3) trailed 66-52 on a jumper by Pfeiffer's (2-1) AJ Clark with 5:35 remaining. It was the last field goal the Falcons would make in the contest. Pfeiffer went 0-for-6 from the field over the game's final five minutes, opening the door for the Brevard comeback.
Miles Leathers, who reached the 400-rebound plateau for his career after a team-high eight boards, scored eight points down the stretch in the 14-2 Tornados' run that trimmed Pfeiffer's lead to two points with 30 seconds remaining. But what the Falcons were unable to do from the field they accomplished at the free throw line, stretching their lead while denying the Tornados quality chances on the defensive end over the game's final moments.
Brevard opened the game shooting at a torrid pace, making five of its first eight field goal attempts to race out to an advantage that reached eight points in the early going. Alex Moe had each of the Tornados' first eight points on two triples and a slick reverse layup on a beautiful feed from Stevie Williams.
But the Falcons soon found their stride, embarking on a 21-9 run that gave Pfeiffer a 23-19 advantage with just under seven minutes to play in the half. Three minutes later, Pfeiffer scored seven straight points punctuated by a layup following one of Brevard's 12 first-half turnovers. The Tornados remained within striking distance over the rest of the half, and Demarcus Threatt's slashing layup high off the backboard cut the deficit to two possessions as the Falcons took a 38-32 advantage into the intermission.
The Tornados shot 50.0 percent from the field while limiting Pfeiffer to 39.1 percent, but the Falcons took 18 more shots over the course of the game. The discrepancy in shots was aided by 24 Tornados' turnovers.
Brevard was dominant in the paint, holding a 36-22 advantage. While Clark, the second-leading scorer in Conference Carolinas, was held nearly 14 points below his scoring average, the Pfeiffer bench stepped up to fill the void, contributing 25 of the Falcons' 73 points.
Leathers led the team with 17 points and was joined in double figures by Moe, Threatt, and Omar El Diraoui. Moe has accounted for 35 points and 19 rebounds over the last two contests after notching his first career double-double against Southern Wesleyan on Saturday. The Tornados held a 36-31 rebounding advantage, the first time this season that the Tornados have outrebounded their opponent.
Tuesday's win was the Falcons' sixth consecutive home victory, a streak that dates back to January 24. The Tornados were denied their fourth straight regular-season road victory and drops Brevard to 2-2 in its last four matchups against Conference Carolinas competition.
Brevard will enjoy a week off before the Tornados return to action next Tuesday in the South Atlantic Conference opener at Tusculum. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
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