Box Score

AIKEN, S.C. – Junior Ebone Stevens hit a 3-pointer with just six seconds on the clock in regulation to force overtime, but USC Aiken outscored the UNC Pembroke women's basketball squad 10-4 in the extra period to outlast the Braves 83-77 in a critical Peach Belt Conference (PBC) contest Saturday evening at the Convocation Center.

The setback is the first for the Braves (12-5, 7-3 PBC) since Jan. 4, snapping a season-long five-game winning streak. The Pacers (11-8, 7-3 PBC) move into a tie for first with UNCP atop the PBC East Division and improve to 20-4 at home against the Black & Gold dating back to the 1992-93 season.

Down 52-46 at the end of the third, senior Airico Williams hit from deep and completed a three-point play the old fashioned way the next time down the court to spark a 14-4 UNCP run that put the guests out front 60-56 with seven minutes to play in the fourth. The Pacers responded with six straight to reclaim the lead at 62-60 before Williams buried another long ball to put the Black & Gold back out front by one.

Nyla Allen rolled in two of her season-high 14 points on the next UNCP possession to put the Braves up three with 4:15 to play. After USC Aiken answered with a bucket on the other end, neither side led by more than one for the next three minutes. With 64 seconds on the clock, the hosts nailed one of their five 3-pointers to go up three at 70-67 and went 1-for-2 on freebies the next time down to extend the advantage to four.

Jonissa Monley grabbed one of her eight rebounds on the offensive end and made a put-back jumper to pull UNCP within two at the 33-second mark. After a much-needed defensive stop, Allen drew a foul and made one of her two free throws to cut the deficit to just one at 71-70. Two freebies from Rachelle Aupont, two of her game-high 21, put the Pacers up three with 18 ticks on the clock, setting the stage for Stevens. The PBC's 3-point shooting percentage leader saw her long ball hit the front iron, bounce straight up and fall through the net to knot the game at 73-73 at the end of regulation.

USC Aiken took the first lead of the extra frame on a pair of Aupont free throws, but Stevens buried her third 3-pointer of the game on the next possession to put UNCP out front 76-75 with 3:28 to play. After a couple of misses on both ends, Jasmine Huntley hit one of her nine freebies to push the advantage to 77-75 at the 2:10 mark. The Braves defense deflected the ball out of bounds with just three seconds on the shot clock on the next USCA possession, but fouled on a double team after the inbound with just one tick to shoot. The Pacers went on an 8-0 run from there in the final 1:40 to pull out the overtime victory.

Allen complemented her 14 points with a season-best 17 rebounds to put together her second-consecutive double-double. Huntley and Williams each added 13 points, while Monley cashed in 10 on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting.

The Braves hit on double-digit long balls (11) for just the third time this season in a game that saw 13 ties and eight lead changes. USC Aiken grabbed 21 offensive rebounds to just seven for UNCP, turning those 21 into 22 second-chance points. The hosts went 22-for-33 at the charity stripe, while the Black & Gold was 16-of-23 on freebies.

USC Aiken led for the majority of the first half, going up by as many as six, before the Braves managed to knot the game at 26-26 on an Allen jumper halfway through quarter number two. Two Huntley free throws put UNCP up 28-26, but the Pacers closed the half on a 6-0 run to haul a 32-28 lead into the locker rooms.

UNCP will enjoy a full week off before returning to action Jan. 28, hosting Armstrong State at 5:30 p.m. on the front end of a women's-men's doubleheader at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. The Pirates (7-11, 3-6 PBC) are losers of five of their last six overall, but took down USC Aiken 61-59 on a buzzer beater Wednesday night.