MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Georgia College shot better than 47 percent, strung together a key run midway through the second half and got a pair of late defensive stops to key a 75-68 victory over the 22^nd-ranked UNC Pembroke men's basketball team on Saturday afternoon in the Centennial Center.
 
The setback snapped an eight-game win streak for the Braves (10-2, 5-1 PBC) who fell for just the second time in the last 13 outings inside the Peach State. It was the third-straight Peach Belt Conference win for the Bobcats (8-5, 3-4) who improved to 18-2 against UNCP in Milledgeville.
 

THE BASICS

SCORE: Georgia College 75, UNC Pembroke 68 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 10-2, 5-1 PBC; Georgia College 8-5, 3-4 PBC LOCATION: Milledgeville, Ga. (Centennial Center)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST HALF

The teams traded blows for much of the first nine minutes of action until two free throws from Chapin Rierson at the 10:55 mark ignited the Bobcats on a 12-2 run that eventually gave the hosts a 24-14 advantage nearly three minutes later. The Braves would answer, however, utilizing 3-pointers by David Strother and Tyrell Kirk on consecutive possessions to spark a 14-4 run that eventually gave the visitors a 37-35 advantage after another 3-pointer by Micah Kinsey with 2:16 left before the break. Strother's layup with five seconds left gave the Black & Gold a 41-38 edge heading into the locker rooms.

2ND HALF

Cold shooting was the name of the game for UNCP as the Braves canned just four of their first 16 shots from the field before catching fire late. The Bobcats led by as many as nine points, 64-55, after Isaac Thomas's dunk with 7:54 to play, but the Black & Gold used a late surge to pull to within one, 67-66, after a running layup from Spencer Levi at the 2:30 mark. Trailing 71-68 with 57 seconds left to play, Tyrell Kirk forced a turnover to give UNCP the chance to tie the game, but Isaac Thomas picked off a pass from David Strother on the ensuing possession to nix the threat.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Sophomore Tyrell Kirk scored a team-high 14 points on 4-of-6 field goal shooting, including a 3-for-4 clip from the perimeter. + Akia Pruitt added 13 points, including a 7-for-8 success rate from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds. + David Strother turned in a dozen points on 4-of-7 shooting, while also recording four assists. + Micah Kinsey came off of the bench to tally 11 points in 26 minutes of action.

NOTABLES

+ Saturday's setback snapped an eight-game win streak for the Braves. The result also snapped a seven-game win streak against Peach Belt Conference opponents. + The Braves were out-rebounded (34-29) for just the third time this season, and the first time since a loss to Barton on November 16. UNCP had out-rebounded eight-straight opponents heading into the weekend. + UNCP fell to 2-18 all-time against Georgia College in the Centennial Center. The Braves snapped a 16-game road losing streak in the series with a win in Milledgeville last year. + The result marked just the second loss in the last 13 outings for the Braves in games played in the state of Georgia.

UP NEXT

The Black & Gold will wrap up a short two-game road trip on Wednesday when it heads to northwest Georgia to battle league rival Augusta (9-3, 5-1 PBC) in Christenberry Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow UNCP Men's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" UNCP Men's Basketball on Facebook.

JOIN THE BRAVES CLUB

Fans can help support the UNC Pembroke Men's Basketball program by joining the Braves Club. To find out more information about the Braves Club, visit UNCPBraves.com/BravesClub or email braves.club@uncp.edu.