The Pfeiffer women’s basketball team opened the 2018-19 season with a 76-72 road win over Randolph College in Lynchburg, Va. last Saturday afternoon.

The Falcons had three players score in double-figures with A’Mya McClain (Hickory, N.C.) leading the way with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds. Junior teammate Kortni Pinion (Stanfield, Va.) had 15 points and senior guard Sydni Bickford (Concord, N.C.) had 12 points and seven rebounds in the win.

In the first quarter, neither team could gain a significant lead, with the teams battling through six ties. Randolph would get a three-pointer with five seconds remaining to take the 23-20 lead after the first quarter.

In the second, Randolph outscored the Falcons 20-11 to take the 43-31 lead into halftime.

Pfeiffer would respond in the third quarter, going on a 18-5 run to take the 49-48 lead at the 3:12 mark. Pfeiffer would then go on to go up by as many as nine points (60-51) when McClain knocked down two free throws with 33 seconds left.

Pfeiffer would lead by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter when Ja’Mia Johnson (Durham, N.C.) converted a layup at the 6:19 mark to put the Falcons up 64-56. Randolph would then close to 64-62 with 3:51 remaining, then to 72-71 with 30 second left, but Pfeiffer got a jumper from Grace Herman (Maiden, N.C.) to stretch the lead to 74-71.

The Wildcats would get a free throw to close to 74-72, but it was as close as they would get, as Pinion hit two more free throws with three seconds to play to provide the 76-72 final.

As a team, Pfeiffer shot 40 percent (28-of-70) from the field while Randolph managed just 26-of-80 (32.5 percent).