PEMBROKE – Columbus State limited the UNC Pembroke women's basketball team to a season-low 17.2 percent shooting effort from the floor and closed the first quarter with a 17-0 run to key a 57-48 win over the Braves on Saturday afternoon at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
The setback snapped a four-game home win streak for the Braves (11-15, 6-12 PBC) who converted on just one field goal attempt in both the first and fourth periods. It was the second win in the last three outings for the Cougars (17-7, 12-6) who have captured the last six series matchups with the Braves in Pembroke.
| THE BASICS |
SCORE: Columbus State, 57, UNC Pembroke 48
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 11-15, 6-12 PBC, Columbus State 17-7, 12-6 PBC
LOCATION: Pembroke, N.C. (Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court) |
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| HOW IT HAPPENED |
| 1ST QUARTER |
| UNC Pembroke took an early 7-2 advantage following a 3-pointer from Alcenia Purnell at the 7:27 mark. Columbus State held the hosts scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, however, and scored 17-straight points to take a 19-7 lead heading into the second stanza. |
| 2ND QUARTER |
| UNCP used a trey from Melanie Horne at the 5:08 mark to trim its deficit back to 21-18. The Cougars would hold the Black & Gold at arm's length until the intermission. The Cougars pushed their lead out to eight points, 28-20, on a 3-pointer from Eboni Williams with 28 seconds left, but Aliyah Farmer connected on a layup to make it a 28-22 affair heading to the locker rooms. |
| 3RD QUARTER |
| The Braves scored six-straight points to make it a one-possession game, 36-34, after a pair of free throws from Melanie Horne with three minutes left in the period. That separation held for the remainder of the quarter, and the Cougars lugged a 39-37 lead into the final period. |
| 4TH QUARTER |
| UNCP was just 1-for-17 from the field in the fourth quarter, but trailed by just three points, 50-47, after Melanie Horne's fastbreak layup at the 1:20 mark. The visitors would tack up seven of the game's final eight points, however, to close out the road win. |
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| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
+ Junior Melanie Horne led all scorers with 16 points, while also adding seven rebounds and a pair of blocks.
+ Courtney Smith highlighted a 10-point performance with a 8-for-10 clip from the charity stripe.
+ Senior Deja McCain led the Braves on the glass by grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds. |
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| NOTABLES |
+ Saturday's loss snapped a four-game home win streak for the Braves who had not tasted defeat at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court since an 11-point loss to league-leading Lander on January 15.
+ The Black & Gold logged 24 free throws (37 attempts) on Saturday. The performance marked the most made free throws for the Braves since a 25-for-38 performance from the line at The Apprentice School on Dec. 3, 2016. |
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| UP NEXT |
| The Braves will make the short trip to Florence, S.C. on Wednesday to take on I-95 rival Francis Marion (12-12, 8-10 PBC). Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside the Smith University Center. |
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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 CLUBThe Braves will return to Pembroke on Wednesday when they host USC Aiken (14-10, 9-7 PBC) in the front end of a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader on Neon Night at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. |
| 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. |
