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Tyrell Catawba 01242018
83
UNC Pembroke UNCP 14-4, 10-2 PBC
90
Winner Francis Marion FMU 11-6, 6-6 PBC
UNC Pembroke UNCP
14-4, 10-2 PBC
83
Final
90
Francis Marion FMU
11-6, 6-6 PBC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNC Pembroke UNCP 41 42 83
Francis Marion FMU 50 40 90

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Turnovers Key As Francis Marion Upsets No. 21 Men’s Basketball

FLORENCE, S.C. – Home-standing Francis Marion registered its best shooting performance in more than a month and forced 18 turnovers by the 21st-ranked UNC Pembroke men's basketball team on the way to a 90-83 victory over the Braves on Wednesday evening at the Smith University Center.
 
The setback snapped a nine-game win streak for the Braves (14-4, 10-2 PBC) who also had its 11-game road win streak against Peach Belt Conference opponents stopped as well. The Patriots (11-6, 6-6) won for just the second time in their last five outings, but tacked up their fourth win against the Braves in the last five matchups in Florence.
 
Tyrell Kirk complemented a career-best 20 points with eight rebounds and eight assists to pace the Braves whose last conference road loss heading into Wednesday came at the hands of Francis Marion back on Jan. 30, 2017. Nigel Grant turned in 18 for the visitors, while Brandon Watts added 16.
 
Detrek Browning scored a game-best 27 points for Francis Marion, while Judah Alexander recorded 20 points and just missed a double-double with nine boards as well.
 
The Patriots led by as many as 13 points, 75-62, after a 3-pointer from Warren Specht with 7:32 to play, but the Braves scored the next nine points to make it a new game just more than two minutes later. After another scoring spurt put the hosts out in front by nine points with 2:35 left to play, UNCP, again, cut its deficit back to four with 93 seconds left.
 
The Braves, however, would connect on just one of their final five field goal attempts to seal the outcome for the Patriots.
 
Both teams shot better than 53 percent from the floor in the opening half, but it was early offensive struggles by the Black & Gold that allowed the Patriots to forge a lead that they maintained much of the period. UNCP came up empty on eight of its first nine possessions of the contest thanks to 1-for-8 shooting, as well as a trio of turnovers. That stretch allowed Francis Marion to build a 10-2 lead just 4-1/2 minutes into the matchup.
 
The Patriots would eventually build an 11-point advantage, 48-37, on a layup from Specht with 90 seconds left before the break.
 
The Braves will wrap up a two-game road trip on Saturday when they make the long trek to St. Augustine, Fla., to take on Flagler (7-9, 4-8) in the back end of a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader inside Flagler Gymnasium.
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