PEMBROKE – UNCP used a 75-yard scoring drive to take a 7-3 lead late in the fourth quarter, but visiting West Virginia Wesleyan got an interception with five minutes left and a 2-yard touchdown plunge with less than 90 seconds remaining to snap the Braves' 2-game winning skein with a 10-7 triumph Saturday afternoon at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Field.

The setback was the first in nearly a month for the Black and Gold (3-4) who were held to minus-14 rushing yards (10 carries) in the decisive second half. With the outcome, the Bobcats (3-4) snapped a 2-game skid and completed a grueling stretch of their schedule that saw the squad play five road games in six weeks.

True freshman Tim McCaskill caught seven passes for 148 yards and a touchdown to provide a heap of the offensive production for UNCP, with running back Brandon McLaurin accounting for 92 all-purpose yards, including hauling in three passes for 64 yards. Wide receiver Alex Puente was key in the late offensive surge for the visitors and finished the game with six catches for 63 yards.

John Stokes registered nine solo tackles for the Braves and finished the contest with a team-leading 10-1/2 stops. James Littlejohn proved to be a workhorse in the trenches for the third-straight game as he finished the outing with 8-1/2 tackles, including three tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and one quarterback hurry. Dewayne James turned in a career day himself, amassing 5-1/2 tackles (three for loss) and a team-best 2-1/2 sacks.

In a lightning-quick first half that spanned just 58 minutes, as well as a hoe-hum third period, the Braves and Bobcats combined for just 23 first downs and 11 punts and headed to the fourth quarter engrossed in a scoreless deadlock. West Virginia Wesleyan capped off a 17-play, 78-yard scoring drive with a 20-yard field goal by Derek Moore, but UNCP answered quickly to put its first points on the board as well.

Quarterback Ryan Horton, who finished the game with 142 yards on 8-of-13 passing with a pair of interceptions, found McCaskill on a 64-yard pass-and-catch to begin the ensuing drive and the Braves took the lead three plays later when Horton found McCaskill again, this time on a 5-yard strike down the middle.

The Braves forced a three-and-out by the Bobcats on the next possession but Horton was picked off moments later to set up a game-winning 9-play, 41-yard scoring drive by the visitors that was capped on Jim Bowersock's 2-yard plunge into the north endzone.

UNCP will return to action on Saturday when the Braves pack up their show and head back to Jacksonville, Fla., to take on Edward Waters at Raines High School's 8,000-seat Earl Kitchings Stadium.