COLUMBUS, Ga. – Columbus State scored 21 second chance points and added 15 points off of 21 turnovers by the UNC Pembroke women's basketball team on the way to a 64-52 victory over the Braves on Saturday afternoon inside the Frank G. Lumpkin Center.
 
It was the fifth-straight loss for the Braves (6-8, 1-5 PBC) who fell to 3-6 away from Pembroke this season with the setback as well. The Cougars (9-2, 4-1 PBC) improved to 5-1 at home and have won their last three contests.

 

THE BASICS

Score: Columbus State 64, UNC Pembroke 52 Records: UNC Pembroke 6-8, 1-5 PBC; Columbus State 9-2, 4-1 PBC Location: Columbus, Ga. (Frank G. Lumpkin Center)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

UNC Pembroke shot better than 53 percent in the opening quarter and limited Columbus State to just 4-for-16 shooting. The Braves led 14-9 after a Melanie Horne 3-pointer with just less than two minute left, and eventually took an 18-11 lead into the second stanza.

2ND QUARTER

The Black & Gold took its largest lead of the afternoon, 22-11, on Melanie Horne's jumper in the paint with 7-1/2 minutes remaining in the half. The Cougars trimmed their deficit back to one possession, 28-26 on a fast break layup from Aujana Dawkins with 1:28 left before the break, and then used a trey from Valeria Merlos to take a 29-28 lead into the locker rooms.

3RD QUARTER

UNCP stretched their lead back out to six points, 42-36, midway through the quarter thanks to a fast break layup from Tiara Williams. The Braves limited the hosts to just a 31.3 percent shooting effort in the period, and eventually carried a 48-44 lead into the fourth quarter.

4TH QUARTER

Columbus State limited UNCP to just 2-for-13 shooting in the final quarter, and outscored the Black & Gold 20-4 to provide the outcome. The Cougars opened the quarter with a 9-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Melanie Horne scored a team-high 10 points, and also had seven rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal. + Courtney Smith logged nine points along with three boards and two steals. + Aliyah Farmer scored eight points on 4-for-8 shooting.

NOTABLES

+ UNC Pembroke led for nearly 60 percent (23:50 minutes) of the game. + Columbus State attempted 10 more free throws than the Braves on the afternoon, and finished 12-for-16 from the charity stripe. + The Braves have now dropped six-straight road games in the series with Columbus State. UNCP's last victory in the Frank G. Lumpkin Center came on March 1, 2012.

UP NEXT

The Braves will return to Pembroke on Wednesday when they welcome Lander (10-3, 5-0 PBC) for Social Media Night at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

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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.