EVANS, Ga. – Kiana Nicholson came off the bench to score three goals and support a staunch defensive effort by top-seeded Columbus State as the fifth-ranked Cougars earned a berth into Sunday's Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship game with a 3-1 victory over the UNC Pembroke women's soccer team on Friday evening at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Ga.

The setback snapped an eight-game unbeaten streak away from Pembroke for the Braves (11-5-3) who fell to 2-15-1 all-time against Columbus State, including a 0-7-0 mark against the Cougars in the PBC Tournament. It was the 15th-straight victory for CSU who advances to Sunday's title game where it will take on either second-seeded North Georgia or seventh-seeded Clayton State.

Lovisa Gustafsson, Katie Watkins and Courtney Crump each registered lone shots for the Braves who avoided a shutout courtesy of a score by Watkins in the 77th minute (76:30). It was just the third score yielded by the Cougar defense in their last 12 outings and the first UNCP goal in the series since a sudden death overtime victory over the then-No. 14 Cougars on Sept. 9, 2011.

Nicholson fueled a 16-3 shot disparity for Columbus State with a career-best eight shots of her own and scored a pair of first half goals to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead at the break. The junior from Marietta, Ga., would complete the hat trick with a penalty kick score in the 88th minute (87:27).