PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke men's and women's basketball teams will hit the road for the first time in 2017 on Wednesday when the Braves make the long trek to west central Georgia for a key Peach Belt Conference inter-divisional battle with Columbus State inside the Frank G. Lumpkin Center.
 
Fans can follow both games for free via a live audio stream on the UNCP Braves YouTube channel with Cameron Songer handling the play-by-play duties. The game can also be followed via live video and statistics link provided by CSU as well.

 

UNC Pembroke Women (7-3, 2-1 PBC) at No. 19 Columbus State (8-0, 2-0 PBC)
Date & Tip Time	Wednesday, January 4 at 5:30 p.m. EST
Location	Columbus, Ga. | Frank G. Lumpkin Center
Live Statistics	SIDEARM SPORTS
Audio	Braves Radio On YouTube
Video	Cougar Sports TV
Peach Belt Conference	Women's Basketball

 
WOMEN'S NOTES

• The Lady Braves (7-3, 2-1 PBC) toppled Augusta, 68-62, in their last outing Monday at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. The win kept UNCP atop the PBC East division standings and snapped a three-game series losing streak to the Jaguars.  
• Senior Jonissa Monley put together her fourth double-double in the last six games Monday, canning 13 points and grabbing a season-high 14 boards. Monley leads all Braves with 8.2 rebounds per game and is second on the squad in points per game at 10.3. UNCP's leading scorer is senior point guard Jasmine Huntley at 10.8 points per contest. Huntley also dishes out a team-best 4.1 assists per outing. Junior Ebone Stevens leads the PBC in 3-point percentage, shooting the long ball at a 48.6-percent clip (18-for-37). Senior Airico Williams littered the box score with eight points, nine rebounds and nine assists Monday, coming just short of the program's first ever triple-double.
• UNCP ranks third among the 14 PBC institutions in both 3-point field goals made per game (6.7) and 3-point field goal percentage (32.4) this season. The Lady Braves are outscoring opponents by an average of 2.3 points per game and also hold a 2.3 rebounds per game average over their opponents.
• Columbus State (8-0, 2-0 PBC) is ranked No. 19 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) poll and are the lone unbeaten team in the league. The Cougars are outscoring opponents by 28.4 points per game, including a 199-92 mark in the third quarter alone.  
• The Cougars lead the PBC in points per game (82.4), field goals made per game (32.0), field goal attempts per game (76.1), offensive rebounds per game (21.5), defensive rebounds per game (32.3), total rebounds per game (52.8), rebounding margin (13.5), assists per game (18.3), steals per game (14.4), blocks per game (6.1), points per game allowed (54.0) and opponents' field goal percentage (29.1).  Columbus State boasts two of the top-10 scoring leaders in the conference in Alexis Carter (17.4) and Britteny Tatum (15.6) and have two players ranked among the league's top 10 in rebounds per game in Ashley Asouzu (10.4) and Carter (10.0). Asouzu's 13.6 points per contest gives the Cougars two of the PBC's five players averaging a double-double.  
• Columbus State holds a 28-6 advantage in the all-time series, including wins in the last four meetings and eight of the last nine. Last season, the Braves fell 60-45 in Columbus despite a career-high 18 points from Avery Locklear.

 

UNC Pembroke Men (9-3, 2-1 PBC) at Columbus State (8-1, 1-1 PBC)
Date & Tip Time	Wednesday, January 4 at 7:30 p.m. EST
Location	Columbus, Ga. | Frank G. Lumpkin Center
Live Statistics	SIDEARM SPORTS
Audio	Braves Radio On YouTube
Video	Cougar Sports TV
Peach Belt Conference	Men's Basketball

 
MEN'S NOTES

• The Braves had their four-game win streak snapped with a tough 80-78 loss to divisional rival Augusta at home on Monday. UNCP trailed by 24 points with 11:25 left to play, but rallied to tie the score on three free throws by Mike Smith with 6.9 seconds left. Two free throws by AU all-American Keshun Sherrill with 4.8 seconds remaining proved to be the difference, however.
• UNCP has captured four of its five true road games this season, with its lone setback coming in the form of an 83-82 loss at Barton in early December. The Black & Gold has shot at an impressive 47.2 percent clip in six total games (one neutral contest) away from Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court, and has averaged better than 82 points in those games as well.
• Wednesday's outing will feature two of the league's top offensive teams. Columbus State leads the league in scoring at 88.0 points an outing, while the Braves (86.5 points/game) share the second spot with North Georgia. UNCP ranks in a tie for second in the league in scoring margin (+9.8), while the Cougars are fourth with a +9.3 average margin of victory.
• Once-ranked Columbus State (8-1, 1-1) will bring a two-game win streak into Wednesday's matchup after registering an 87-71 home victory over Auburn-Montgomery on Saturday. The Cougars got the winning skein started with an 86-80 home win over Augusta in mid-December.
• JaCori Payne (18.2 points/game) and Darius Joell (18.1) both rank among the league's top 8 scorers this season, and the duo has combined to shoot better than 50 percent from the floor as well. Payne has scored 20 or more points on four occasions this season, while Joell has accomplished that feat three times, including a 31-point outing in a road loss to Flagler. Marcus Dixon leads the league with 12.2 rebounds an outing.
• Columbus State leads the all-time series, 28-8, but the Braves have captured six of the last 11 matchups, including both meetings during the 2014-15 campaign. The Cougars were an 82-69 winner over the Black & Gold in Columbus last season. The Braves are just 2-14 on the road in the series, including a current three-game skid in the Lumpkin Center.