PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke women's basketball squad will lift the lid on the 2017-18 campaign when Fayetteville State invades Pembroke on Saturday afternoon before the Braves hit the road for an exhibition tilt with Division I UNC Wilmington on Sunday at the Trask Coliseum.

The Braves will battle the Broncos in their home opener on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. Saturday will see the Black & Gold play its lone exhibition contest of the season against Colonial Athletic Association member UNC Wilmington. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. at the 5,200-seat Trask Coliseum.

Fans can watch Friday's contest on the UNCP Sports Network with Matt Sabados handling the play-by-play duties. Saturday's tilt can be followed via a free audio stream with Sabados once again on the call. Both games can be also be followed via live statistics links which can be found at UNCPBraves.com.
 

UNC Pembroke vs. Fayetteville State
Date & Tip Time	Saturday, November 11 at 2 p.m. ET
Location	Pembroke, N.C. | Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court
Live Statistics	Stat Broadcast
Video	UNCP Sports Network
Peach Belt Conference	Women's Basketball

 

UNC Pembroke at UNC Wilmington (Exhibition)
Date & Tip Time	Sunday, November 12 at 2 p.m. EST
Location	Wilmington, N.C. | Trask Coliseum
Live Statistics	Stat Broadcast
Radio	UNCP Sports Network
Video	Stretch Internet
Peach Belt Conference	Women's Basketball

 

• UNCP returns two starters and two of its top five scores from a 2016-17 team that finished third in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) East Division with a 15-12 overall record. The Braves fell in the quarterfinal round of the PBC Tournament to Clayton State.
• Nyla Allen, UNCP's leading returning scorer, averaged 7.6 points per game a season ago and chipped in 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Ebone Stevens returns after dropping 5.6 points per outing last season and led the team with 41 3-pointers made and a 39.4-percent clip from behind the arc.
• The Braves have won each of their last two season openers, as the Black & Gold knocked off Fayetteville State 63-56 to open the 2015-16 season and beat Coker 78-75 in the 2016-17 opener.
• Just 42 percent of UNCP's points last season remain after an offseason that saw the Braves' top three scorers depart from the team. The Braves held opponents to a PBC-low 25.8 percent-mark from 3-point range last season and ranked second in the league in defensive rebounds per game (30.6). UNCP slotted third in the conference in 3-pointers made per game (6.7), 3-point attempts per game (21.3), total rebounds per game (43.6) and turnovers per game (15.4).
• The Braves were picked eighth in the PBC preseason poll by the league's coaches and received one fourth-place vote. This season will see 12 league teams play a double round-robin against the other 11 teams, with the top eight advancing to the PBC Tournament.
• Head coach John Haskins enters his 14th season at the helm of the Black & Gold women after serving as the men's skipper for 10 years from 1992-2002. Haskins has compiled a 166-190 record as the women's coach, including a 105-138 mark in PBC play.