AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta shot better than 58 percent from the field, including a 63 percent shooting effort in the second half, and the Jaguars stopped the 17^th-ranked UNC Pembroke men's basketball's win streak at nine games with a 75-65 victory over the Braves on Saturday in Christenberry Fieldhouse.
 
It was just the second loss in the last 15 outings for the Braves (19-5, 13-2 PBC) who are now tied atop the latest Peach Belt Conference standings with league nemesis USC Aiken. It was the sixth consecutive win for the Jaguars (17-7, 12-4) who improved to 9-2 at home this season with the result as well.
 

THE BASICS

SCORE: Augusta 75, UNC Pembroke 65 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke (19-5, 13-2 PBC); Augusta (17-7, 12-4 PBC) LOCATION: Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fieldhouse)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST HALF

UNC Pembroke took an 11-5 lead on a pair of free throws from Spencer Levi at the 12:59 mark, but the Jaguars strung together 10-straight points over the next 3-1/2 minutes to swing the momentum to their side. Augusta took a 32-26 lead on two free throws from Troy Cracknell with just more than a minute left before the break, and eventually took a four-point advantage, 34-30, into the locker rooms.

2ND HALF

The Braves trailed by nine points in the early goings of the second stanza, but made it a one-possession game, 53-50, following Jordan Ratliffe's 3-pointer with 12 minutes left. A running jumper from Tyree Myers with 9:23 left, however, marked the first of eight-straight points by the hosts that would key the final result.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Junior Tyrell Kirk scored a team-best 16 points on 7-of-13 field goal shooting, while also turning in one rebound as well. + Sophomore Jordan Ratliffe added a dozen points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

NOTABLES

+ Saturday's setback snapped a nine-game win streak for the Braves who had captured 13 of their last 14 contests entering the matchup. + UNCP has now split the last 18 matchups in the series with the Jaguars, but have now dropped two-straight matchups in Augusta as well. + The Black & Gold failed to record a block for the first time in 117 games. Prior to Saturday's outing, the last time the Braves did not register at least one block in a contest was way back on Nov. 11, 2016, against Catawba in the PBC/SAC Challenge.

UP NEXT

+ The Braves will return to Pembroke on Wednesday evening to take on USC Aiken (17-9, 13-3 PBC) in a battle of the conference's two co-leaders. The Pacers registered a four-point home win (86-82) over Young Harris on Saturday in the Convocation Center.

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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.