BREVARD, N.C. – Brevard senior Kelsie Rhyne tallied the second double-double of her career (18 points / 10 rebounds), but it was a 27-point outing by Sydni Bickford that helped Pfeiffer emerge with an 80-70 victory in women's basketball action on Friday evening at Boshamer Gym.
Trailing by 11 points at the close of the third frame, Brevard (11-13) opened the fourth with a layup by Destiny Williams to move within single digits. Pfeiffer (20-3) answered with back-to-back layups, extending its lead to 13, but a three-point play by Rhyne made for a 65-55 contest.
The combination of a layup by Whitney DeMoss and two free throws by Rhyne, after a series of Falcon misses, moved Brevard within six, 65-59. Pfeiffer answered with a layup by Kayla Whitworth as the two units traded baskets for a three minute span, resulting in a 74-65 Falcon advantage.
Unable to capitalize on a long distance shot from Jade Napier, Pfeiffer added two free throws to stretch the lead to 11. Rhyne drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, making for a 76-68 contest, but solid defense and three free throws by the Falcons made for a double-digit lead. Rhyne converted two free throws with 10 seconds remaining, finishing with 10 points in the quarter, but Pfeiffer earned the 10-point victory.
Rhyne capped off her first double-double since scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against Bob Jones (Nov. 15, 2016), by hitting 4-of-12 from the floor and 9-of-10 at the charity stripe against the Falcons. Rhyne was joined in double figures by Napier (13 points) and Taryn Ledford (10) as Brevard finished 26-of-64 (40.6%) from the floor. The duo of Napier and Ledford highlighted a Tornado bench that tallied 29 points in the contest.
Williams, who narrowly missed a double-double of her own with nine points, shared team-high rebounding honors with Rhyne and DeMoss as the trio recorded 10 caroms. Brevard held a 48-38 edge in rebounds due in large part to 18 offensive boards.
Bickford, who knocked down 8-of-12 from the floor and 8-of-11 from 3-point range, was also responsible for three steals and two assists. Grayson Harris also eclipsed double figures (11) to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds. Shalonda Wilkins came off the bench to score 11 points and was a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range, highlighting a Pfeiffer unit that was 11-of-19 (57.9%) from beyond the arc in the contest.
Ledford led all Brevard scorers with eight points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers as she finished 3-of-4 from the floor in 11 minutes. The Tornados shot 36.4 percent in the first half, knocking down 12-of-33 from the floor and 3-of-11 from 3-point range.
Pfeiffer established itself early in the first quarter and behind a pair of Bickford 3-pointers grabbed a 9-5 lead at the 5:34 mark. Trailing by five, 13-8, just over a minute later, Brevard used a pair of layups by DeMoss and Napier to move to within one. Napier knocked down a jumper from the wing to provide the Tornados with their second lead, 17-16, but Pfeiffer scored four of the final seven points of the half to lead 20-19.
Ledford, who knocked down a jumper at the 7:15 mark of the second, was the lone scorer of the game for a 5:26 span as Brevard held a 21-20 advantage. Ledford added a 3-pointer with 2:34 remaining, quickly answered by Wilkins, resulting in a 28-all deadlock. The Falcons used the momentum from as they scored seven of the next nine points as they took a 35-30 lead into the intermission.
Bickford caught fire in the early stages of the third quarter, knocking down four of 3-pointers as the Falcons extended their lead to 56-40 at the 3:26 mark. Just over a minute later, facing a 16-point deficit, Napier scored six unanswered points and Rhyne added two free throws to make for an eight-point game. A 3-pointer as time expired provided Pfeiffer with a 61-50 advantage through three quarters of play.
The Tornados put the finishing touches on the 2017-18 campaign on Saturday, Feb. 24, when they host Pfeiffer for Senior Day. Brevard will recognize the accomplishments of seniors Kelsie Rhyne, Whitney DeMoss and Jade Napier.