SALISBURY – Catawba blocked a potential game-winning point-after attempt by the UNC Pembroke football team with 15 seconds left in regulation, and then held off a pair of last-ditch passing attempts in overtime to slip past the visiting Braves, 30-23, on Saturday afternoon at Shuford Stadium.
 
The setback officially snapped the lid on the 2018 season for UNCP (2-8) who fell 0-4 in road games with the result as well. The victory snapped a two-game skid for the Indians (4-7) who put the wraps on their campaign as well.
 

THE BASICS

SCORE: Catawba 30, UNC Pembroke 23 (Overtime) RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 2-8; Catawba 4-7 LOCATION: Salisbury, N.C. (Shuford Stadium)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

Josh Jones connected with Shammond Hicks on a 37-yard pass play on the first play from scrimmage, and the Braves drove 70 yards on seven plays before settling for a 28-yard field goal from Alex Alvarado. UNCP 3, CC 0   The Indians knotted the score back up on the ensuing possession, driving all the way down to the UNCP 16-yard line before settling for a 33-yard field goal from Lee Brackman. UNCP 3, CC 3

2ND QUARTER

The Braves bridged the first and second quarters with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that milked more than eight minutes off of the clock. Josh Jones capped the drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass to freshman Faheem Diaab, but the point-after attempt sailed wide. UNCP 9, CC 3   The Indians used the ensuing drive to get on the board, rushing three times for 20 yards before Ken Avent found Devonte Tanksley on a 60-yard scoring strike. UNCP 9, CC 10   The Black & Gold padded its lead back out to two scores, this time with an 8-play, 71-yard scoring drive that was capped when Josh Jones found Aaron Whitaker on a 10-yard touchdown pass. The visitors would add a two-point conversion pass as well. UNCP 17, CC 10   The hosts put the tying points on the board late in the second quarter when Kenyatta Greene raced 61 yards on the opening play of the possession for Catawba. UNCP 17, CC 17

3RD QUARTER

The Indians opened the second half with possession of the ball, and drove 50 yards on seven plays before Lee Brackman gave them the lead with a 42-yard field goal. CC 20, UNCP 17

4TH QUARTER

Kenyatta Greene did all of the work on a time-consuming 8-play, 27-yard drive that was capped on Lee Brackman's 43-yard field goal. CC 23, UNCP 17   Josh Jones capped an 8-play, 68-yard scoring drive that was culminated by a game-tying 10-yard touchdown pass from Josh Jones to Shammond Hicks, but Catawba blocked the point-after attempt to send the game into overtime. UNCP 23, CC 23

OVERTIME

Ken Avent found Devonte Tanksley on a 17-yard touchdown pass to tack up the only overtime points for either team. The Braves drove to the Catawba 7-yard line on their possession, but Josh Jones threw an incomplete pass on third down, and Tyshawn Carter dropped a potential game-tying touchdown pass on fourth down. CC 30, UNCP 23

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Josh Jones threw for 230 yards and a season-best three touchdowns on 19-of-33 passing. Jones finished his rookie season with multiple touchdown passes against five different opponents. + Freshman McKinley Nelson ran for a season-high 107 yards on 26 carries, while also hauling in two passes for 25 yards. It is the first individual 100-yard rushing day for the Blaxk & Gold since Miles Grant rushed for 100 yards last season against Lenoir-Rhyne. + Three different receivers hauled in touchdown passes for the Black & Gold, including freshman Faheem Diaab who caught four passes for a season-best 56 yards. + The UNCP defense forced at least one turnover for the seventh time this season thanks to an interception by Devin Jones.

NOTABLES

+ UNCP turned in a season-high 426 yards of offense against Catawba – the most for the Black & Gold since amassing 491 yards of offense in a loss to Mars Hill on Nov. 4, 2018. + The Braves racked up nearly 39 minutes (38:22) of possession time against the Indians. That is a season-high for possession by nearly five minutes. + UNCP capped its season with a 2-8 record, including a 2-4 mark in Pembroke.

UP NEXT

Season complete.

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