Box Score

PEMBROKE – A miss on the front end of two freebies did not rattle junior Brianna Baham Saturday afternoon, as she knocked down the second with just 1.2 seconds to play, pushing the UNC Pembroke women's basketball squad past visiting Armstrong State 71-70 in a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) East Division showdown at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
 
The triumph makes nine-consecutive home wins for the Braves (13-5, 8-3 PBC), the longest home winning streak since UNCP made the move to Division II in 1992. It's the most home victories in a season since the 2011-12 campaign (9-3) and matches the second-most home wins in the Division II era. The Pirates (7-13, 3-8 PBC) fall for the seventh time in their last eight games, four of those losses by six points or less. The Braves remain atop the PBC East Division, holding a half-game lead on both Lander and USC Aiken.
 
Down eight with under three minutes to play, the Black & Gold went on a 9-0 run, sparked by a Blair Silliman long ball, to regain the lead 70-69 on a pair of Jonissa Monley freebies with 23 ticks on the clock. A UNCP foul on the other end sent Armstrong State's Deundria Clark to the line for three shots, but she hit just one, tying the game at 70 with eight seconds to play.
 
Out of a timeout, Baham drove to the basket and was hacked to set up the game-winning free throw. Machala Raymonville was tasked with taking the final shot for the Pirates, but the game's leading scorer was unable to add to her 30 points, as her 3-point attempt at the buzzer clanked off the front iron, erupting a season-high UNCP crowd.
 
The Braves led by as many as 10 in the final period, but the guests hit on seven-straight shots in the midst of a 23-5 run to erase the deficit and build the eight-point advantage. 14 of Raymonville's 30 points came during the late Pirate run.
 
Baham paced the Braves with 15 points, the sixth time in the last eight games she has poured in double-figures. The Wilmington native tacked on five rebounds and two assists. Monley, Avery Locklear and Ebone Stevens all went for nine points, while Monley grabbed a game-best nine boards. Ten different Braves scored in a game that saw eight ties and 14 lead changes.
 
Both sides attempted 26 long balls, with the Black & Gold knocking down 10 to Armstrong State's nine. The Pirates shot 44 percent from the floor (24-of-55), while UNCP hit at a 40-percent mark (23-of-57). The Braves outrebounded the guests 36-33 and have now held the rebounding edge in 12 of their 18 outings.
 
UNCP led from the opening tip until the 6:32 mark of the second quarter, leading by as many as nine in the first period. The Pirates fought back to lead by four with 4:52 to play in the half before the hosts closed the frame on a 11-7 run to tie the game at 32 going into the break.
 
The Black & Gold hits the road Monday for a meeting with PBC East rival Francis Marion. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. on the front end of a women's-men's doubleheader at the Smith University Center. The Patriots (9-11, 4-7 PBC) are losers of six of their last eight overall, but lead the all-time series with UNCP, 39-24. Last season, the squads split the two meetings, with the home side winning both contests.