FLORENCE, S.C. – Freshman Brandon Watts drew a key charge with seven seconds left to slow a late surge by Francis Marion as the 14th-ranked UNC Pembroke men's basketball team survived a big road scare with a 68-66 victory over the upset-minded Patriots on Wednesday evening in the Smith University Center.

The victory marked the eighth-straight for the Braves (15-1, 6-1 PBC) who have now won seven of the last 10 series matchups with their I-95 rivals. The Patriots (8-8, 0-7) have now lost seven of their last eight outings since starting the season with a 7-1 record.

UNCP got double-digit scoring from four different players, including junior Quamain Rose who tallied a team-high 14 points, while also turning in eight rebounds and five assists. Ben Jacobs came off the bench to score 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while Griffin Pittman and Brandon Winford each added 10.

Detrek Browning registered a game-best 18 points for the Patriots, while Dii'Jon Allen-Jordan posted 15 of his own.

The visitors took a seven-point lead, 44-37, on a jump shot by Jacobs with 13:10 left to play, but Francis Marion scored nine of the game's next 11 points to knot things back up 2-1/2 minutes later. Down six with 41 seconds to play, the hosts trimmed their deficit to just two points on a Mike Davis 3-pointer with 18 ticks left and regained possession after Rose missed two free throws on the other end of the court, but Watts stepped in front of Dii'Jon Allen-Jordan on the ensuing possession to force the key turnover.

The turnover would not provide the Braves with an advantage, however, as Griffin Pittman missed two free throws seconds later. Francis Marion had its chance to win the game on the last possession, but a 3-pointer by Dustin Jones sailed well wide of the goal.

The Braves forced 12 turnovers and led by as much as 10 points in the opening half after a layup by Jacobs at the 8:29 mark made it 21-11, but the Patriots stormed back with a 16-6 run to tie the score seven minutes later. A pair of free throws by Watts with 63 seconds left helped the visitors take a slim lead into the locker rooms.

UNCP will close out a three-game road trip on Saturday when it heads to Dahlonega, Ga., for a matchup with North Georgia (11-3, 5-2) inside Memorial Hall. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m.