COLUMBUS, Ga. – For the first time under head coach John Haskins, the UNCP women's basketball team defeated Columbus State, 66-48, in an upset victory in the quarterfinal round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Thursday evening in the Lumpkin Center.

UNCP (16-11) posted its first victory over the Columbus State (16-11) since the 2008-09 season and its first win in Columbus, Ga., in school history. The last time the Lady Braves played Columbus State in the first round of the conference Tournament was on March 3, 1994 when the Lady Cougars pulled out an 87-54 victory. 

The win marks only the third time since UNCP joined the NCAA Division II that the team has advanced to the tournament semifinals and first time since the 2002-03 season. The Lady Braves are riding high after winning the last eight of their last nine games and posting their fifth-consecutive victory this season to hold the best winning-streak since the 2006-07 season.

Taylor Gallentine put the Lady Braves on the board first with a long 3-pointer from the top of the arc and pulled ahead with a 9-0 run in the first five minutes of the half as the squad held Columbus State to a mere two points. Senior DeDe Cotten nailed two back-to-back 3-pointers and Amelia Partin drained another arc shot to give the squad a 20-point advantage. 

With the first 10 minutes elapsed in the game, UNCP totaled 64.7 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from the 3-point line, while the Lady Cougars possessed a 13.3 percent field goal shooting percentage. The Lady Braves allowed Columbus State to score one point in a span of 8:27 in the first half. 

The Lady Braves recorded a season-best 41 points in the first half as UNCP retired into halftime with a 19-point lead. The squad out-rebounded Columbus State, 22-17, and totaled a 56.7 percentage from the field and 50.0 percentage from the arc in the opening period.

Columbus State entered the second half with a vengeance and quickly put up seven points on the board in less than four minutes as UNCP was held scoreless during that time. Freshman Jazmine Kemp delivered the Lady Braves the first points in the second half for a 14-point lead.

The Lady Cougars suffered a 13-4 run by UNCP starting at the 14:07 mark and extending more than 4-1/2 minutes. Columbus State cut UNCP's lead to 16 points with two 3-pointers as the score was 56-40 with 8:30 on the clock. The Lady Cougars did not get closer than 16 points the remainder of the game with UNCP pulling out the 18-point victory.

Kemp and Gallentine led the team with 14 and 11 points, respectively, while Domonique Washington nearly reached a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Cotten, Partin and Jasmine Hairston each collected eight points as Cotten notched seven rebounds. 

"I thought we played as well as we could in the first half," said Haskins. "We made everything we shot and I thought we were solid defensively. Another thing to note is that we out-rebounded them as Cotten and Washington had 16 of those between them as guards."

UNCP finished the game with a 51.9 field goal shooting percentage, 42.9 3-point shooting percentage and an 80.0 free throw percentage. The Lady Braves suffered 18 turnovers compared to Columbus State's 13, but out-rebounded the team by five as UNCP finished the game with 38 rebounds. 

"We had a lull there in the second half where we struggled to score but one we got back and started to score, we were fine," Haskins said. "I am very proud of the team and I thought it was a great effort."

Dominique Gilbert totaled 15 points and nine rebounds for Columbus State as the team shot 30.6 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from the charity stripe.

The Black and Gold will take Friday to rest and return to action on Saturday at 4 p.m. to battle the No. 1 seed from the PBC East, No. 9 USC Aiken (24-3), in the Lumpkin Center.

Women's Updated Bracket