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PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke women's basketball team converted on four their final five shots in overtime Wednesday night to best visiting St. Augustine's 64-60 in an overtime thriller at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
It's the third win in four games to begin the 2016 campaign for the Braves (3-1), who improve to 1-1 in Pembroke. The Falcons (2-6) have now dropped three straight this season and two of three in the series history with UNCP.
The hosts led by as many as 11 in the second half and clung to a nine-point advantage at the conclusion of the third quarter. St. Augustine's used an 18-8 down the stretch and sent Kamya Renwicks to the charity stripe down one with 15 ticks on the clock. Fortunately for the Braves, she missed on the second to keep the game level at 50-50. The Black & Gold ran the clock down and took the final shot, but was unable to convert, sending the game to overtime.
The Braves poured in 14 points in the extra frame, six more than the fourth quarter, including a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc after shooting just 22.2 percent (4-for-18) from long range in regulation.
UNCP jumped out to a 53-50 lead on a 3-pointer by
Jillian Ebron, but the Falcons scored the next five points to snag a 55-53 lead with under three minutes to play.
Nyla Allen responded with a 3-pointer of her own to put the Braves back on top and
Jasmine Huntley and Ebron each added another long-range missile in overtime.
Jonissa Monley iced the game with a pair of free throws at the 33-second mark.
Monley uncorked a team-high 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting, while knocking down 7-of-11 freebies. She snatched five rebounds. Allen poured in a season-best 11 and pulled down 11 boards for her first double-double as a Brave. Ebron added eight points and eight rebounds.
The Black & Gold outrebounded the guests 49-39 in a game that saw seven lead changes and four ties. The UNCP bench cashed in on 32 points, while limiting the Falcon reserves to just 11. Each side turned the ball over 20-plus times and shot in the mid-30s from the field. The Braves assisted on 18 of their 22 made baskets, paced by Huntley with five.
The Braves hit the road for a two-game road trip Saturday, heading to Newport News, Virginia for a tilt with The Apprentice School. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Apprentice Athletic Facility. UNCP is a perfect 2-0 against the Builders in series history, including an 86-61 triumph in Pembroke last season.
