AMERICUS, Ga. – Visiting UNCP shot better than 47 percent from the field and used a key 7-0 run late in the second half to turn back preseason league favorite Georgia Southwestern, 68-60, on Sunday afternoon in the Storm Dome.

The triumph helped the Braves (13-8, 7-4 PBC) snap a season-long three game losing streak, while also giving the Black & Gold its first consecutive victories in the series with Georgia Southwestern. The setback marked the fourth-straight loss for the Hurricanes (11-7, 2-7).

Shahmel Brackett scored a game-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field to pace the visitors, with the Braves getting a key performance from Tar Heel native Nathan Priest who came off the bench to post 12 points and seven rebounds. Milos Kleut scored a team-best 16 points for Georgia Southwestern, with Evan Mobley and Marlon Rivera each booking 14.

UNCP extended a nine-point halftime lead out to double digits on Griffin Pittman's layup 22 seconds into the second half, but the Hurricanes answered with a 15-3 run over the next five minutes that inevitably gave the hosts a 40-39 advantage with 14:04 to play. Georgia Southwestern used three consecutive turnovers by George Blakeney to grab a 52-50 edge at the 6:27 mark, but the Braves countered with a 7-0 scoring spurt to take the lead for good. The Hurricanes made it a one possession game on Mobley's 3-pointer with 2:45 left, but Brackett drained a trey on UNCP's next trip down the court and Ben Jacobs followed with a layup on the next possession to keep the hosts at arm's length.

The two teams jockeyed for position for the first 13 minutes of the contest, but the Braves forged ahead on the strength of a 14-2 run. The surge – which spanned nearly five minutes and saw the visitors shoot 63 percent (5-for-8) from the field – gave UNCP a 32-21 advantage with just more than two minutes left before the halftime break.

The Braves will close the lid on a four-game road swing on Thursday when they make the short trip down I-95 to face PBC East rival Francis Marion (12-8, 6-5) in the back half of a 5:30 p.m. basketball doubleheader inside the Smith University Center.