PEMBROKE – Sophomore David Strother scored 14 of his team-high 20 points amid a second half surge for the UNC Pembroke men's basketball team, and the Braves held visiting Columbus State to just 11 percent shooting over the game's final five minutes, on the way to a 71-64 victory over the Cougars on Saturday afternoon in Pembroke.
 
The triumph marked the 16^th-straight home victory for the Braves (12-2, 7-1 PBC) who have not lost in Pembroke since a 70-67 setback to the Cougars on Dec. 17, 2017. It was the third loss in the last three outings for Columbus State (7-7, 3-6) who have now come away empty on three of their last four trips to Robeson County.
 

THE BASICS

SCORE: UNC Pembroke 71, Columbus State 64 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 12-2, 7-1 PBC; Columbus State 7-7, 3-6 PBC LOCATION: Pembroke, N.C. (Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST HALF

Field goals came at a premium for both teams through the first nine minutes of action, but it was the Cougars who took a 13-8 advantage on Landruis Horton's jumper at the 11:19 mark. The Braves used a modest 6-1 scoring surge to knot the score up at 14 apiece with 8-1/2 minutes left before the break, but the Cougars answered with six-straight points to reclaim a six-point lead. A running jumper by Cam Hamilton with 60 ticks left brought the hosts to within two points, 28-26, heading into the locker rooms.

2ND HALF

The teams traded punches for a good portion of the second stanza, but neither was able to shake the other off its heels. The Braves led by five points, 52-47, on Cam Hamilton's trey at the 9:28 mark, but the Cougars tacked up eight of the next 10 points to forge a 55-54 advantage just more than two minutes later. A 3-pointer by Jalen Thomas with 2:34 remaining gave the game its seventh tie score, but that would mark the final field goal of the game for the visitors, and the Braves cashed in by scoring nine of the game's final 11 points, including a 9-for-10 clip from the charity stripe.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Sophomore David Strother scored a team-best 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting, as well as a 6-for-8 tally from the free throw line. It was his second 20-point game of the season, but his first since the season opener with Newberry. + Senior James Murray-Boyles turned in 14 points, including 12 in the second half on 4-of-7 shooting. + Sophomore Spencer Levi came off of the bench to add 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting in just 20 minutes on the floor. He also added six boards as well. + Junior Akia Pruitt flirted with a double-double, but finished the game with nine points and 10 rebounds.

NOTABLES

+ Saturday's victory marked the 16th-straight home victory for the Braves who have not dropped a game at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court since a 70-67 setback against Columbus State on Dec. 17, 2017. + The Braves were out-rebounded (40-37) for the second time in three games, but did register an 18-17 rebounding advantage in the second half. It is the first time UNCP has been out-rebounded at home since its win over Clayton State on Jan. 20, 2018. + UNCP has now held nine opponents to sub-40 percent shooting this season after limiting the Cougars to just 37.1 percent on Saturday.

UP NEXT

The Braves will continue their three-game home stand on Monday when they take on Georgia Southwestern (2-12, 0-8 PBC) in the back half of a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.

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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.