PEMBROKE – Garrett Hill (165 pounds) and Brandon Sloop (184) captured spirited wins to help the 21^st-ranked UNC Pembroke wrestling team build a 20-9 lead, and the Braves held off a late push by 17^th-ranked Limestone on the way to a 20-19 win over the Saints on Tuesday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
 
The Braves (2-3) have now captured two of the last three series matchups with Limestone (1-1), and extended their home win streak over the Saints out to four matches with Tuesday's triumph. The Black & Gold is now 5-1 at home in the series.
 
All-American Nick Daggett (125), eighth-ranked Jonathan Miller (141) and Sammy Peticos (149) all registered bonus-point victories to give the hosts a comfortable 17-3 lead, but Limestone used victories from both Sean Glasgow (157) and Garrett Beam (165) to trim its deficit back to just five points, 14-9, on the team scoreboard.
 
Hill got the Black & Gold back on track with a fast-paced 10-3 win at 174 pounds, and Sloop answered a short time later by toughing out a 12-9 decision in the 184-pound matchup.
 
The Braves will now get a 10-day break from competition before resuming their 2019-20 schedule on December 7 with a tripleheader. UNCP will battle Belmont Abbey in a 2 p.m. matchup that day, before trekking to nearby Charlotte for a tri-meet with Queens (6 p.m.) and Southwest Virginia Community College (8 p.m.).