PEMBROKE – The 21^st-ranked UNC Pembroke men's basketball team battled back from a seven-point deficit midway through the second half to take the lead on a 3-pointer from David Strother with 4:14 left, but Doniel Dean's fall-away jumper with 11 seconds left lifted sixth-ranked USC Aiken past the Braves, 90-88, in front of a near-capacity crowd on Wednesday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
 
The setback snapped a 17-game home win streak for the Braves (13-3, 8-2 PBC) who had not tasted defeat in Pembroke since a 70-67 loss to Columbus State on Dec. 17, 2017. It was the fourth-straight victory for the Pacers (16-1, 10-1 PBC) who stopped a three-game series skid with the triumph as well.
 

THE BASICS

SCORE: No. 6 USC Aiken 90, No. 21 UNC Pembroke 88 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 13-3, 8-2 PBC; USC Aiken 16-1, 10-1 PBC LOCATION: Pembroke, N.C. (Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST HALF

The lead swapped hands 12 times in the first 20 minutes, but it was 55.2 percent shooting by the Pacers, as well as eight steals by the visitors, that allowed them to take a slight edge into the intermission. USC Aiken took the largest lead for either team in the opening stanza when Doniel Dean's running layup made it a 33-27 affair at the 5:51 mark, but the Black & Gold used a scoring spurt  of their own to chip its deficit down to 37-36 on a free throw from James Murray-Boyles just more than 2-1/2 minutes later. The Pacers eventually toted a 43-41 advantage into the break.

2ND HALF

It was a second half that featured five tie scores and eight lead changes, but the Pacers eventually used a pair of technical fouls on the hosts just 21 seconds apart to fuel a surge that gave them a 68-61 lead with 11:42 to play. The Braves would battle back, however, and eventually took the lead, 78-77, on a 3-pointer from David Strother 3-1/2 minutes later. UNCP knotted the score up at 88 apiece when Spencer Levi hit the front end of a two-shot foul with 38 ticks left, but Doniel Dean's fall-away basket deep into the shot clock on the other end of the court silenced the raucous crowd. A last-second 3-pointer from Micah Kinsey would catch the iron to seal the outcome.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ James Murray-Boyles scored 13 of his team-high 19 points in the opening half. The Columbia, S.C., native was 6-for-9 from the field in the opening frame as well. + Tyrell Kirk knocked down a career-high five 3-pointers, and finished the night with 17 points which matched his season-high. + Akia Pruitt turned in his 15th career double-double with 14 points and 11 boards. He also cashed in on three blocks. + Spencer Levi finished with 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting, while Micah Kinsey registered 10 points on a 4-of-7 clip. + Jamal Bryant recorded a game-high 12 rebounds, while also tallying two assists and a steal.

NOTABLES

+ Wednesday's setback snapped a 17-game home win streak for the Braves who had not lost at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court since being on the wrong end of a 70-67 outcome against Columbus State on Dec. 17, 2017. + The Black & Gold out-rebounded the Pacers, 54-29, including 25 offensive rebounds. It is the fifth time this season that UNCP has out-rebounded an opponent by 20 or more boards. + USC Aiken snapped a three-game series losing skid with Wednesday's outcome. It was the first win for the Pacers over UNCP since an 83-81 thriller on Jan. 21, 2017 in Aiken, S.C.

UP NEXT

The Braves will hit the road again on Saturday when they travel to Morrow, Ga., to lock horns with league nemesis Clayton State (5-11, 2-8 PBC) inside The Loch. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

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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.