PEMBROKE – Junior Tyrell Kirk scored 17 of his career-best 33 points in the second half to spearhead a red-hot offensive night from the UNC Pembroke men's basketball team as the Braves proved to be too much for Lander in a 104-85 victory over the Bearcats on Wednesday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
 
It was the fifth win in the last six outings for the Braves (11-4, 5-2 PBC) who have captured the last four contests with Lander in Pembroke. The setback marked the most lopsided loss of the season for the Bearcats (10-4, 4-2) whose previous three losses had come by a combined seven points.
 

THE BASICS

SCORE: UNC Pembroke 104, Lander 85 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke (11-4, 5-2 PBC); Lander (10-4, 4-2 PBC) LOCATION: Pembroke, N.C. (Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST HALF

The Braves canned seven 3-pointers in the opening half, including six (6-for-7) amid a nearly four-minute stretch early in the period that had them leading by double digits just five minutes in. The hosts led by as many as 17 points, 46-29, after Tyrell Kirk's triple with 3:52 left before the break, and eventually took a 54-41 lead into the locker rooms.

2ND HALF

UNCP shot nearly 60 percent (19-for-32) in the latter stanza, and pushed its lead out to 18 points just more than a minute in on Tyrell Kirk's sixth 3-pointer of the evening. The Bearcats scratched away at their deficit and pulled to within 10 points, 70-60, following Tyler Brevard's jumper at the 13:01 mark, but the Black & Gold responded with seven-straight points to stretch the lead back out again. The hosts led by as many as 20 points, 102-82, after Spencer Levi's tip in with 51 ticks left, and scored their final points of the game on freshman Dewan Lesesne's jumper 33 seconds later.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Junior Tyrell Kirk scored a career-high 33 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including a 7-for-10 success rate from the perimeter. He added five rebounds, three assists and two steals as well. + Junior David Strother scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds to flirt with his first career double-double. He also turned in six assists and a pair of steals as well. + Sophomore Jordan Ratliffe turned in a 16-point, 5-rebound night, while also registering five rebounds, three assists and two steals. + Junior Spencer Levi came off of the bench to tally 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in just 12 minutes on the floor.

NOTABLES

+ The Braves matched a season-high with 13 steals on Wednesday, and have now tallied double-digit steals in four contests this season. + UNCP was 37-for-67 (.552) from the floor on Wednesday. It is the ninth time this season that the Braves have converted on at least half of their field goal attempts, and the seventh time in the last nine outings that they have accomplished that feat. + The Black & Gold has now turned in 10 or more 3-pointers six times this season, but their 11 3-pointers on Wednesday marked the third time in the last four games that they have done it. + The Braves registered a 39-28 advantage in the rebounding column on Wednesday. Lander came into the game with a league-best +14.1 rebounding margin, and had out-rebounded 12 of its previous 13 opponents as well.

UP NEXT

UNCP will close out a short two-game home stand on Saturday when it battles league nemesis Augusta (10-4, 5-1 PBC) in the back half of a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader on Alumni Weekend at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. The Jaguars were a 94-81 winner over Francis Marion at home on Wednesday.

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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.