FLORENCE, S.C. – The UNC Pembroke women's basketball team led by six at halftime, but committed 10 second-half turnovers, leading to a 70-62 defeat Wednesday night inside Smith University Center. Francis Marion turned the ball over just five times the entire game.
The setback ends the 2015-16 campaign for UNCP with a record of 10-16, 5-14 PBC, including losses in three of the last four. The Patriots improve to 21-7, 12-7 PBC with the win and will be the No. 3-seed out of the East Division in the upcoming conference tournament.
A back-and-forth opening quarter ended with Francis Marion out front 20-17, but the Black & Gold defense stymied the Patriots in the second period, allowing just eight points. UNCP poured in 17 of their own in the second to stretch its lead out to eight with under a minute to play, before entering the locker room with a 34-28 advantage.
It was the Patriots turn to ramp up the defense in the third quarter, surrendering just seven third-quarter points to the Braves. Francis Marion opened the period on a 10-2 run to grab a 38-36 lead with 7:23 to play. The teams would go scoreless for almost four minutes before a Mary Robinson free throw pulled UNCP to within one. However, the hosts scored the next six points and 10 of the final 14 in the quarter to lead 48-41 with 10 minutes to play.
The Black & Gold did not go quietly, opening the final period on a 12-4 run to take a one-point lead with under seven minutes on the clock. But the next eight points went in favor of the Patriots to regain the lead at 60-53. The Braves pulled to within two at 62-60 on a Jonissa Monley free throw at the 2:29 mark, but that's the closest UNCP came down the stretch, missing on five of its last six shot attempts.
Monley racked up a game-high 24 points, eclipsing the 500-point mark for her career. She finishes a historic season averaging 13.2 points and 8.9 rebounds, including an impressive 17.4 points and 10.9 rebounds over the final 14 games. She totaled 10 double-doubles in those last 14 contests. Monley grabbed eight boards Wednesday evening.
Airico Williams tacked on 12 points, one shy of her career best, while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out two assists. Robinson was the third and final Brave in double digits, going for 10 points and nine rebounds. She added two assists and a steal.
Francis Marion put four players in double figures, led by Camille Dash's 16. Briana Burgins notched a double-double on 13 points and 14 rebounds.
The Braves outshot Francis Marion, 42 percent (22-for-52) to 37 percent (26-for-70), but could not find success from behind the arc, connecting on just 2-of-11, an 18-percent clip. UNCP turned the ball over 16 times, leading to 15 Patriot points. The home team's bench played a big factor in the outcome, outscoring the UNCP reserves 22-5.
