PEMBROKE – Clayton State scored 21 points off of 20 turnovers by the UNC Pembroke women's basketball team and limited the Braves to just nine points in the final quarter to secure an 81-67 road victory on Thursday afternoon at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
It was the first home loss of the season for the Braves (6-4, 1-1 PBC) who registered a season-best 67 points in the effort as well. The triumph snapped a two-game losing streak for the Lakers (5-4, 1-0) who have now won three-straight games in the series with the Black & Gold.
| THE BASICS |
Score: Clayton State 81, UNC Pembroke 67
Records: UNC Pembroke 6-4, 1-1 PBC; Clayton State 5-4, 1-0 PBC
Location: Pembroke, N.C. (Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court) |
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| HOW IT HAPPENED |
| 1ST QUARTER |
| UNC Pembroke jumped out to an early 8-2 advantage just more than three minutes into action, but Clayton State took countered with a 10-0 run and led by four points, 12-8, four minutes later. A 6-0 scoring spurt by Clayton State eventually gave it a 20-14 lead heading into the second period. |
| 2ND QUARTER |
| Clayton State stretched their lead out to nine points, 29-20, after a jumper in the paint from Brittany Williams at the 6:00 mark. Naomi Gilbert's 3-pointer trimmed the deficit back to 29-25 with 5-1/2 minutes left in the half, and pulled to within one point, 37-36, after Jillian Ebron's jumper three minutes later. Clayton State used a jumper with two seconds left before the break to lug a 46-42 lead into the locker rooms. |
| 3RD QUARTER |
| UNC Pembroke made it a one-possession game, 49-46, on a free throw from Alcenia Purnell just three minutes into the half, but Clayton State used a running layup from Taneria Wilson just more than a minute later to extend their lead back out to seven points, 53-46. A trey from Melanie Horne with 10 ticks left pulled UNCP within two points, 60-58, heading into the final stanza. |
| 4TH QUARTER |
| Aliyah Farmer knotted the score at 60 points apiece with a layup at the 8:25 mark, but the Lakers took the lead for good on a Timi'a Swanson jumper with 5:25 remaining. The Braves converted on just two of their final 12 field goal attempts (16.6 percent) to fuel the final outcome. |
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| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
+ Melanie Horne scored a team-high 18 points, including a 4-for-9 clip from behind the arc. Horne also pulled down a team-high six rebounds as well.
+ Freshman Courtney Smith scored a career-high 10 points, while also adding four assists and three steals.
+ Aliyah Farmer logged eight points and four boards. |
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| NOTABLES |
+ The setback marked the first home loss of the 2019-20 season for the Black & Gold.
+ UNCP shot a season-best 40 percent from the field on its way to a season-best 67 points. The offensive performance also included an impressive 35 points from the bench.
+ UNC Pembroke falls to 10-21 all-time against Clayton State, and is just 3-15 against the Lakers since the end of the 2006-07 season. |
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| UP NEXT |
| The Braves will be back in action on Saturday when they face off against North Georgia (8-1, 1-0 PBC) to highlight a 'Tis The Season gathering at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. |
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| STAY CONNECTED |
| Follow UNCP Women's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" UNCP Women's Basketball on Facebook. |
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| JOIN THE BRAVES CLUB |
| Fans can help support the UNC Pembroke Women'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. |
