MISENHEIMER, N.C. – In the second game of a back to back on its North Carolina trip, the Southern Virginia University men's basketball team (9-7, 2-3) fell to Pfeiffer University (5-8, 2-2).

In the opening five minutes of the contest the teams went back and forth, but a quick 12-0 run by the Falcons over the next few minutes of play created an 11 early point deficit for the Knights.

Southern Virginia started a run of its own on the back of three consecutive deep balls from Bryan Tapia, the last of which made it just a three-point game with 8:22 remaining in the first half of play. Tapia would end with 12 points, tying a season-high. 

The Falcons looked to stretch the lead before halftime, jumping out to a nine-point advantage with just over a minute of play, but back to back great plays by Dane Ibsen made it a five-point contest as the teams went to the locker rooms.

In the second stanza, both teams boasted very high shooting percentages – the Knights shot over 48 percent from the field while the Falcons knocked down half of the field goal attempts. The teams also connected from behind the three-point line at a high rate – Southern Virginia knocked down four of its nine attempts while Pfeiffer drained six shots to shoot over 35 percent from beyond the arc. The success rate of both teams made it difficult for the Knights to cut into the Falcons lead down the stretch.

Pfeiffer was extremely active on the defensive end, forcing 16 turnovers that led to 20 points off turnovers. The Flacons also held the Knights to just five offensive rebounds – coming into the match Southern Virginia averaged 11.6 offensive boards per game.

On the other end of the floor, the Falcons crashed the offensive glass. Many of the 38 attempts from long range also created long rebounds, leading to 16 offensive boards and 17 second chance points for Pfeiffer. Southern Virginia was out-rebounded for just the fourth time this season.

The Knights were led by Koa Baker who recorded team-high's in points with 20 and rebounds with 13. The double-double marked his 10^th of the season which is tied for eighth in the country.

Southern Virginia will look to get back on track with its two-game home stand next week, beginning with a tough contest against Mary Baldwin on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

For all the most up-to-date information regarding Southern Virginia University men's basketball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_hoops on Instagram.