ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Flagler scored 31 points off of 29 turnovers by the UNC Pembroke women's basketball team and went 22-for-33 from the charity stripe on the way to a 66-58 victory over the Braves on Thursday evening inside Flagler Gymnasium.
 
It was the fourth-straight loss for the Braves (6-7, 1-4 PBC) who fell to 3-5 away from Pembroke this season with the setback as well. The triumph snapped a five-game losing streak for the Saints (3-7, 1-3 PBC) who also picked up their first Peach Belt Conference victory.

 

THE BASICS

Score: Flagler 66 UNC Pembroke 58 Records: UNC Pembroke 6-7, 1-4 PBC; Flagler 3-7, 1-3 PBC Location: St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gymnasium)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

UNC Pembroke shot better than 47 percent in the opening quarter, while also limiting Flagler to just 3-for-13 shooting. The Braves took a 14-13 advantage off of two made free throws from Naomi Gilbert with 2-1/2 minutes remaining in the period, and then scored eight of the period's final 10 points to carry a 22-15 lead into the second quarter.

2ND QUARTER

The hosts trimmed their deficit back to five points, 26-21, off of an Ivana Boyd layup at the 6:07 mark, but the Black & Gold responded with nine-straight points to take its largest lead of the night, 35-23, after a layup from Courtney Smith with 2-1/2 minutes left before halftime. The Saints scored the last seven points of the half, however, and trailed by just five points, 35-30, heading into the locker rooms.

3RD QUARTER

The Braves converted on just two of their 11 field goal attempts in the third quarter and turned the ball over 11 times to swing the momentum. Flagler scored the first 10 points of the period before Alcenia Purnell broke the silence for UNCP on a 3-pointer with just more than three minutes left in the period. The Saints held on to the advantage, however, and led 47-42 lead heading into the final period.

4TH QUARTER

Jillian Ebron made it a one possession game, 47-45, with a 3-pointer just 40 ticks into the quarter, but Flagler shot better than 77 percent in the final period and outscored the Braves, 19-16, secure the win. Melanie Horne scored the final basket of the night on a 3-pointer with 28 seconds remaining.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Deja McCain scored a team-high 10 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds as well. + Alcenia Purnell and Melanie Horne each added nine points. + Tee Graham logged a team-best five assists.

NOTABLES

+ UNC Pembroke bettered the Saints in both shooting percentage (42.6-40.0) and rebounds (38-28). + Flagler logged 26 more free throw attempts than the Braves on the night, and finished with a 22-for-33 clip from the charity stripe. + The Braves have now dropped four-straight games in the series with the Saints, and have now lost six of the last eight matchups in Flagler Gymnasium.

UP NEXT

The Braves will close out their three-game road trip on Saturday when they travel to Columbus, Ga., on to take on Columbus State (8-2, 3-1 PBC). Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. inside the Frank G. Lumpkin Center.

STAY CONNECTED

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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.