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Akia vs Augusta 011720181
93
Winner UNCP UNCP 13-3; 9-1
87
USC Aiken USCA 9-5; 6-4
Winner
UNCP UNCP
13-3; 9-1
93
Final
87
USC Aiken USCA
9-5; 6-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNCP UNCP 56 37 93
USC Aiken USCA 37 50 87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

8-Straight! Men’s Basketball Holds Off USC Aiken To Pad Win Streak

AIKEN, S.C. – USC Aiken whittled a 21-point first half deficit down to just five with 52 seconds left, but the UNC Pembroke men's basketball team connected on 9-of-10 free throws in the game's final 44 seconds to key a 93-87 win over the Pacers on Wednesday evening inside the Convocation Center.
 
It was the eighth-straight victory for the Braves (13-3, 9-1 PBC) who have now won 11-straight road games against Peach Belt Conference opponents dating back to last season. The setback snapped a three-game win streak for the Pacers (9-5, 6-4) who fell to 3-5 in their home arena in 2017-18.
 
Akia Pruitt complemented a career-high 25 points with seven rebounds and a trio of blocks to pace the Braves who are off to their best start in 27 years. Nigel Grant cashed in on his fifth double-double (8th career) of the season with 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while fellow senior Brandon Watts tallied 17 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 clip from the charity stripe. Lumberton native David Strother added 14 points three assists and three steals.
 
Henry Bolton III keyed a game-high 26 points with a 6-for-7 success rate from the perimeter for the Pacers who have now dropped three of their last four home games in the series. Doniel Dean added 18 points for the hosts, while Faison Brock went 5-for-7 from downtown on the way to turning in 16 points.
 
Tyrell Kirk gave the Black & Gold a 57-39 lead just 66 seconds into the second half, but the Pacers used a 14-2 run later in the period to eventually make it a two-possession game, 70-65, on a 3-pointer from Brock with 8:20 remaining. USC Aiken pulled as close as three points, 90-87, on a 3-pointer from Bolton with 16 ticks left, but the Braves got two free throws from Strother on the other end of the court, as well as a rebound from Pruitt off a missed jumper by Brock with four seconds left, to finish off the road win.
 
UNCP shot better than 57 percent from the field on the way to registering their most first-half points in nearly two seasons. The Braves led by as many as 21 points, 41-20, after a 3-pointer from Jamal Bryant with 7:46 left before the intermission, and eventually lugged a 56-37 advantage into the locker rooms. It was the most points for the Black & Gold in the first half since registering 59 in a 115-92 victory at Armstrong State on Feb 21, 2015.
 
The Braves will be back in action again on Saturday when they return home to take on Clayton State (9-4, 7-2) in a pivotal Peach Belt Conference matchup at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 3:30 p.m.
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