COLUMBUS, Ga. – Second-seeded UNCP out-rebounded Georgia Southwestern by a healthy 41-24 margin en route to a 24-3 advantage in second chance points as the Braves continued their late season surge with an 84-72 victory over the Hurricanes on Friday evening in the quarterfinals of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

The triumph helped the Braves (22-8) avenge their only home loss of the season and puts the Black & Gold into the semifinals of the postseason gala for the second time in the last three years. Georgia Southwestern (13-14), who had won six of their last eight games heading into the weekend, fell for the second-straight time to UNCP in PBC Tournament play.

Brandon Winford matched a career- and game-high with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field to pace the Braves, who also got double-digit scoring from three other players as well. K.J. Cooper nailed a trio of 3-pointers en route to 13 points, while George Blakeney cashed in on his 16th double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Shahmel Brackett (1,584 career points) moved into fifth place on UNCP's all-time scoring list with a dozen points and also added a team-best four assists as well.

Milos Kleut matched a game-best with 18 points on a perfect 8-for-8 night from the field for the Hurricanes, while Jamon Hawkins registered 15 points and Matt Shaw chipped in 12 for the Hurricanes as well.

The Hurricanes used Alan Garnett's running jumper to take a 36-33 edge just 22 seconds into the second half and flirted with taking control of a game they trailed by 10 in the opening period, but Jihad Wright's one-handed dunk with 10:23 to play sparked UNCP on a 15-6 run that would change the complexion of the game for good. Georgia Southwestern cut its deficit back to seven points, 72-65, on a layup by Alan Arnett with 3:06 to play, but the Braves scored four-straight points and only briefly did not led by double digits the rest of the way out.

UNCP opened the game with a 10-2 run and led by as much as 10 points, 16-6, on Winford's layup at the 12:56 mark. Georgia Southwestern would outscore the Braves 16-5 over a five-minute stretch late in the stanza, however, and took its first lead, 34-33, on Kleut's layup with 1:48 left before the break. Neither team would score again before the halftime buzzer.

The Braves will continue play in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Saturday when they meet the winner of Friday's late game between Montevallo and Augusta State. Tip off for Saturday's semifinal matchup has been slated for 8 p.m. inside Columbus State University's Frank G. Lumpkin Center.