Box Score
PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke women's basketball team outscored visiting Augusta 26-14 in the second quarter to take a nine-point lead into halftime and never trailed over the final 20 minutes in a 68-62 Peach Belt Conference (PBC) triumph over the Jaguars Monday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
The win snaps a three-game series losing streak for the Braves (7-3, 2-1 PBC), who remain atop the PBC East Division race and improve to 4-1 at home this season. Augusta (5-4, 0-3 PBC) remains winless in league play after being held 10 points below their season average in scoring (72.2).
UNCP led for 30 of the 40 minutes, including the final 28:47 after a
Jasmine Huntley layup at the 8:47 mark of the second quarter in the midst of a 13-2 Brave run that turned a 14-11 deficit into a 24-16 advantage. The Black & Gold's largest lead came three minutes later when
Ebone Stevens put the home side up 12 after swiping the ball and going the length of the court for an easy lay in. The Braves hauled a 37-28 lead into the break.
Augusta came as close as three two separate times during the second half, once in the third and again in the final period. A pair of Jaguar free throws cut the UNCP lead to 62-59 with 2:47 on the clock in the fourth, but the Braves hit on six of eight from the charity stripe down the stretch and the guests missed five of their last six shots from the field to secure the home victory.
Senior
Airico Williams littered the box score with eight points, nine rebounds and a career-high nine assists. She came two points, a rebound and an assists from recording the first triple-double in the history of UNCP women's basketball. Classmate
Jonissa Monley grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds, complemented by a team-best 13 points for her second-consecutive double-double and fourth in the last six games. Huntley and
Brianna Baham each tacked on nine points.
After a scorching 45-percent outburst in the first half, the Braves cooled off to just 25-percent shooting in the final two frames. Augusta shot 38 percent from the floor, but converted on just 9-of-17 free throws, while UNCP was 22-of-33 on freebies. The home squad dished out 16 assists on 20 made baskets and turned the ball over a season-low 10 times.
The Braves return to action Wednesday with a road tilt against No. 23 Columbus State. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. on the front end of a women's-men's doubleheader at the Frank G. Lumpkin Center. The Cougars (8-0, 2-0 PBC) are the lone unbeaten team in the PBC and are outscoring their opponents by an average of 28.4 points per contest. Columbus State holds a 28-6 series lead over UNCP, including the last four meetings.
