Box Score BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University men's basketball team got off to an auspicious start when they hosted Pfeiffer University in the Student Center Complex on Wednesday night. The Tornado worked their way back and the teams went back-and-forth over the final 25 minutes until the score remained tied at the end of regulation. However, the Falcons outscored King in the extra session to take the contest 76-73.
Pfeiffer (9-9, 6-7 CC) opened the game with an 11-1 run and led 13-2 before Mikquell Jackson made King's first field goal of the game, eight minutes in. With the Tornado trailing 20-7, Hunter LeVeau tried to ignite the offense with a three-point basket. Shamarae Watts and Logan Lyle followed with triples of their own to cut their deficit to 20-16.
After a Falcon free throw, Mack Owens and C.J. Good combined for back-to-back three-point baskets to give King their first lead at 22-21 with four minutes left in the frame. Owens then evened the score at 24 with a layup on King's next possession. Owens then hit a pair of triples for King over the final two minutes, but the Falcons matched both shots as the game went to halftime knotted at 30 apiece.
The Tornado (16-4, 11-2 CC) tried to gain control of the game to start the second frame as Lyle made a pair of free throws and Drew Standifer connected on a long range shot to put King up 25-32 two minutes in. The teams then began to trade points until the Tornado went on a 7-0 run eight minutes into the frame. Standifer and LeVeau started the spurt, each hitting a pair of free throws before LeVeau capped the run and forced a Falcon timeout with a three-point basket that gave King a 49-43 lead with 11 minutes remaining.
King later led 50-45 when Pfeiffer started to make a run, and regained the lead on a Mike Smith three-point basket, and extended it to 54-50 with eight minutes remaining. However, King answered with six straight points to regain a lead following a Lyle trifecta that was followed by a Watts steal and fastbreak layup.
The Falcons again trailed 61-57 before scoring four straight points to even the score at 61 with 2:35 left. Good then drilled a jump shot from the elbow with two minutes left to give the lead back to King. However, the Falcons answered with a pair of free throws to even the score for the 10th time in the contest. Pfeiffer had a chance to take the lead, but they turned the ball over with 3.2 seconds remaining. The Tornado couldn't get a last second shot attempt to go, and the game went to overtime.
After the Falcons got the first bucket of the extra session, Standifer answered with a three-point play to give King a 66-65 lead. However, Pfeiffer scored five straight points to take a 70-66 lead. King cut their deficit to 72-70, but Andrew Guerrero answered with a triple, and added a free throw to take a 76-70 lead with 1:26 remaining. The Falcons then missed a pair of free throws and a layup, leaving the door open for King. LeVeau got fouled shooting a three-point shot, and converted all three free throws to bring King within 76-73 with 44 seconds left. King then made a defensive stand to have a chance to even the score, however the three-point attempt was off the mark, giving Pfeiffer the 76-73 win in overtime.
King shot 30.2 percent from the field, including a 28.2 three-point percentage while shooting 66.7 percent from the free throw line. On the other side, Pfeiffer shot 44.3 percent from the floor, 40.0 percent from long range and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. The Falcons also outrebounded King 50-39.
Lyle led King with 15 points while Owens followed with 13. LeVeau added 12 and Standifer chipped in with 11 and a team-high seven rebounds. Calvin Walker dished out a team-high seven assists.
For Pfeiffer, Smith scored a game-high 35 points to go along with seven assists and five rebounds.
King will be in action again on Saturday when they host nonconference foe Trevecca Nazarene University. Tipoff is slated for 4:00 p.m.
