ANDERSON, S.C. - The visiting Pfeiffer Lady Falcons overcame a second-half double-digit deficit to edge Anderson, 85-77, in two overtimes in nonconference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.

Senior Amanda Parris scored a career-high 23 points on the strength of 8-of-16 shooting from the field to lead four Trojans in double figures. The 5-foot-7 guard also handed out four assists. Sophomore point guard Sierra Simpson added 14 points and recorded a game-high six assists, while seniors Breonda Shannon and Alissa Diaz each chipped in 11 points. Shannon also pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds to complete the double-double.

Pfeiffer's Brittany Cox notched a game-high 24 points, with guard Jodie Lemons adding 19 points and 11 boards. Senior forward Christina Harvey chipped in 16 points and guard Kellie Rhoney tallied 15 points and five assists.

Bidding to win its first season opener since 2007, the Trojans got off to a fast start by reeling off 10 unanswered points to break a 7-7 tie. Diaz, who was limited with two early fouls, ignited the outburst with a layup and three other Trojans contributed over the two-minute span while the Trojan defense kept the Lady Falcons scoreless. AU gained the 17-7 lead on Shannon's traditional three-point play before Lemons snapped the Pfeiffer drought with a traditional three-point play of her own with 16:08 on the clock.

The Lady Falcons climbed within 29-28 with 5:18 remaining in the first half on a pair of free throws from Carter Williams that capped a 6-2 run, as Anderson misfired on six consecutive shots. But Pfeiffer was unable to capitalize, committing three turnovers and missing a pair of free throws, as Anderson held a 34-31 halftime edge.

Anderson scored the first nine points of the second half, as Parris notched five and Diaz added four, to boost the Trojans' lead to 43-31 at the 17:22 mark. Parris drained her fourth 3-pointer of the game from deep in the left corner to give the Trojans their largest lead of the contest, 50-37, with 12:43 left.

Pfeiffer countered with a 15-2 run over the next nine minutes, trimming AU's lead to 54-52, before Simpson righted the ship with a trey from the right wing to put the Trojans back up by five. But Rhoney added two free throws and Cox nailed a 3-pointer to tie the score for just the third time of the night with less than two minutes on the clock.

Anderson played stellar defense in the final two minutes, as Parris tied up Lemons to force a turnover with 1:11 to go and Shannon blocked a shot to help preserve the 57-57 tie. Junior Paige Whitaker followed by swiping an inbounds pass with 27 seconds remaining and following an AU with 21.4 ticks on the clock, Parris was unable to convert a driving off-balance shot and Shannon's putback attempt was too late.

Two free throws from Lemons early in the first overtime gave the Lady Falcons their first lead since the 18:54 mark of the first half and Pfeiffer opened a 70-64 advantage with 11 seconds remaining. But Parris answered with a 3-pointer from the left corner to trim the deficit to three. The AU defense forced a timeout, then Pfeiffer misfired on a pair of free throws with 4.5 seconds left. The Trojans inbounded the ball to Simpson, who weaved through traffic before launching a 31-foot jumper that found the bottom of the net at the buzzer to even the score at 70-70 and send the game to a second extra frame.

Pfeiffer jumped out to a four-point lead on a three by Rhoney and the Trojans were unable to get closer than three, as the Lady Falcons connected on another trey and a pair of free throws down the stretch.

Anderson shot 34.1 percent from the field, while the Lady Falcons shot 39.3 percent, including 40 percent (12-of-30) from beyond the arc. The Trojans held a 53-45 rebounding advantage, but Pfeiffer connected on 25-of-35 from the free throw line, with AU hitting 8-of-13.

The Trojans wrap up their season-opening two-game homestand by playing host to Erskine Wednesday night at 6 p.m. in the first game of a women's/men's doubleheader.