PEMBROKE – The UNCP women's basketball recorded its highest field goal shooting percentage this season as three Lady Braves collected double-digit figures including a career-high by Jazmine Kemp to lead the Black and Gold past Augusta State on Wednesday evening, 58-57.

Kemp lead the UNCP (11-10, 8-5 PBC) offense with 18 points and defense with a team-best seven rebounds, while Amelia Partin added 12 points and DeDe Cotten chipped in 11. Kemp was 7-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. The Lady Braves shot a season-best 48.0 percent from the field including 52.2 percent in the first half. Cotten totaled three of the four UNCP 3-pointers. 

UNCP's first points of the game came on back-to-back 3-pointers as the Lady Braves trailed Augusta State (11-11, 6-8) for a majority of the first half.  The Lady Jaguars scored eight points off UNCP turnovers, but the Black and Gold managed 12 points in the paint and four on fast breaks in the first 20 minutes of the game. 

The lead changed three times in the second half with UNCP holding the final lead at the 14:52 mark and the highest lead of eight points with nine minutes left to play in the game. Augusta State came to within two points with 59 seconds on the clock, but Partin extended the lead to four on a layup. Becky Newhouse brought the Lady Jaguars to within one point on a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining in the game. 

Jazmine Hairston gave the Lady Braves the possession with two seconds on the clock and she grabbed the steal at half court. Hairston was fouled going to the basket, but the final buzzer sounded before Augusta State could push out one final shot. In the second half, UNCP totaled 16 points in the paint and 12 off Augusta State turnovers. 

"I thought we had some separation by our defense in rebounding the basketball, but we got some run outs, we got some transition baskets and we got the ball into Kemp and she was able to score in the post," said UNCP head coach John Haskins.

Augusta State had three players in double figures as Newhouse led with 15 points, Jemimah Ashby tallied 13 and Amber Peterson nailed 12. Laci Schreiber used her aggressive play to grab nine rebounds and collect seven points. The Lady Jaguars out-rebounded UNCP 38-25, but committed four more turnovers than the Lady Braves.

UNCP will battle No. 15 USC Aiken (18-3, 11-2) on the road on Saturday when the team travels to Aiken, S.C., for a doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m.

To watch the full game click HERE.