FLORENCE, S.C. – The UNC Pembroke men's basketball team scored 24 points off of 13 Newberry turnovers and got 18 points off the bench from
Jabrie Bullard to key a 73-69 victory over the Wolves in the final game of the Peach Belt Conference/South Atlantic Conference Challenge.
It was the fifth victory in the last eight neutral site matchups for the Braves (2-0) who are perfect through two games for the third-straight season, and the fifth time in the last decade. Newberry (1-1) split two games at the Francis Marion-hosted event, including an 85-71 win over the host-Patriots on Friday.
| THE BASICS |
SCORE: UNC Pembroke 73, Newberry 69
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke (2-0); Newberry (1-1)
LOCATION: Florence, S.C. (Smith University Center – PBC/SAC Challenge) |
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| HOW IT HAPPENED |
| 1ST HALF |
| The Wolves converted on 50 percent (13-for-26) of their field goal attempts in the opening half, but eight turnovers, as well as streaky shooting by the Braves, kept it close. UNCP led by as many as eight points, 20-12, following a jumper by Shaun Kirk at the 9:20 mark, but a layup from Angelo Sales on the other end of the court signaled a 10-0 run from Newberry that eventually pushed them out in front just more than three minutes later. T.J. Brown's jumper as time expired would give the Wolves a 30-29 advantage heading into the break. |
| 2ND HALF |
| Newberry padded its lead out to seven points, 44-37, on a layup from T.J. Brown just more than six minutes into the second half, but the Braves connected on their next five field goal attempts, including three consecutive 3-pointers, to fuel a 13-0 run that gave them the lead for good. The Wolves made it a one-possession game, 69-67, on Luke Gibson's 3-pointer with 33 seconds left, but UNCP grabbed two key rebounds on consecutive misses at the free throw line before David Strother and Jordan Ratliffe closed out the contest with four successful attempts from the charity stripe. |
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| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
+ Jabrie Bullard, who played his junior season (2017-18) at Newberry, scored a game-high 18 points off the bench thanks to 6-of-9 shooting from the perimeter. The Prospect native also added four rebounds as well.
+ Lumberton native David Strother turned in 16 points and five rebounds, as well as two assists and a pair of steals.
+ Sophomore Jordan Ratliffe, who went for 24 points in his UNCP debut on Friday against Catawba, registered 13 points, six rebounds and three steals against the Wolves on Saturday.
+ Junior Tyrell Kirk tallied a game-high six assists, while also adding nine points, three rebounds and two steals. |
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| NOTABLES |
+ The Braves are now 3-2 all-time in the series with Newberry, including a home-and-home split during the 1963-64 season. The squads renewed their series in 2000-01 with a three-point win for the Wolves at the Mount Olive-hosted Pickle Classic, before UNCP posted a 97-81 win over the Wolves last season at the PBC/SAC Challenge in Salisbury.
+ The Braves have now won five of their last eight neutral site matchups dating back to the 2017-18 campaign. Two of their three setbacks have come in NCAA Tournament play. |
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| UP NEXT |
| UNCP will continue its season-opening six-game road trip on Tuesday when it makes the short trek to Winston-Salem State. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the C.E. Gaines Center. The contest will mark the season opener for the Rams whose only action thus far was a 96-61 exhibition loss at UNC-Chapel Hill. |
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| STAY CONNECTED |
| Follow UNCP Men's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" UNCP Men's Basketball on Facebook. |
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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. |
