PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke women's basketball team scored 24 second chance points and limited North Georgia to its lowest shooting percentage of the season as the Braves picked up their third-straight victory with a convincing 77-56 win over the Nighthawks on Saturday afternoon at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.

UNCP (8-7, 3-5 PBC) improved to 7-1 on its home floor this season with the result and thrust itself into the race for the PBC East Division crown. The setback snapped a two-game series win streak for North Georgia (12-5, 4-4) who rolled into Pembroke on a high after upsetting No. 13 Columbus State on Wednesday evening.

Jasmine Huntley scored a game-high 20 points and added eight rebounds to pace UNCP who out-rebounded their guests 53-36 in the outing. Jonissa Monley recorded her third-straight double-double performance with 14 points and 13 boards as well.

Cierra Jackson turned in a team-best 14 points for North Georgia, while Kelsey Hutchins tallied 10 points, three assists and a trio of blocks. It was the fourth loss in the last six outings for the Nighthawks.

North Georgia scored the first 10 points of the contest, but UNCP recorded 15 of the game's next 17 points and took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Ebone Stevens with 1:11 left in the opening period.  The Nighthawks climbed to within two possessions, 27-23, on a driving layup by Jordan Livesay at the 6:41 mark of the second quarter, but the Braves closed out the first half with a 10-2 run to take a 37-25 edge into the locker rooms.

UNCP pushed a comfortable halftime lead out to 20 points, 49-29, midway through the third quarter and cruised the rest of the way out. The Nighthawks, twice, cut their deficit back to 16 points over the game's final 15 minutes, but could get no closer.

The Braves will be back in action again on Monday when they head to Morrow, Ga., to lock horns with 22nd-ranked and PBC West-leading Clayton State (14-1, 8-0). Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.  inside Clayton State's Athletics & Fitness Center.