PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke men's basketball team took the lead for good on Quamain Rose's 3-pointer with 39 seconds left and forced a pair of turnovers down the stretch to key a 76-72 victory over visiting Columbus State on Thursday evening in the English E. Jones Center.

The victory helped the Braves (9-1, 1-1 PBC) capture its Peach Belt Conference home opener for the seventh time in the last 10 tries, while also giving UNCP the 13th win in the last 14 December home games. The setback snapped a four-game win streak for the Cougars (7-2, 1-1) who fell 0-2 on the road this season as well.

Brandon Winford scored a team-best 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds to pace the Braves, while Rose complemented a 15-point night with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Griffin Pittman added 13 points and Brandon Watts and Ben Jacobs both tallied 11 points apiece for the hosts as well.

The Cougars got a big night from DeAngelo Kirkland who registered his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 19 rebounds. Kenney Funderburk posted a game-best 22 points, while B.J. Battle keyed a 17-point night with 5-for-10 perimeter shooting.

The Braves opened the second half with four quick points to regain a lead it held for much of the first half, and led for much of the next 10 minutes of action before Funderburk's trey at the 8:27 mark gave the lead back to the visitors. UNCP led by as much as seven, 68-61, after Winford's layup with 3:34 left to play, but Battle canned 3-pointers on three-straight possessions to help give the visitors a 72-70 lead with 61 seconds remaining.

Rose gave the Braves the lead for good with his clutch 3-pointer and looked to have sealed the outcome with a steal on the other end of the court, but the Cougars forced a UNCP turnover on the ensuing inbounds play. Rose would, again, come up with a key steal six seconds later, before icing the win with two free throws.

UNCP scored the first 12 points of the contest to set the early tone, but the Cougars used a 17-2 run later in the half to take their first lead of the ball game, 31-30, on a 3-pointer by Brent Jackson with 3:12 left before the half. Columbus State would eventually carry a 36-33 advantage into the locker rooms.

The Braves will continue a six-game home stand on Saturday when they suit up to host Georgia College (7-3, 1-0) in the second half of a 1:30 p.m. men's and women's basketball doubleheader in the English E. Jones Center.