AIKEN, S.C. – USC Aiken picked up 20 points from its bench and added 30 points in the paint to secure a 65-52 victory over the UNC Pembroke women's basketball team on Wednesday evening at the Convocation Center.
The setback for the Braves (1-4, 1-3 PBC) marks just the second loss in the last eight meetings with the Pacers (1-4, 1-4 PBC), who picked up their first victory of the season.
| THE BASICS |
SCORE: USC Aiken 65, UNC Pembroke 52
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke (1-4, 1-3 PBC), USC Aiken (1-4, 1-4 PBC)
LOCATION: Convocation Center (Aiken, S.C.) |
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| HOW IT HAPPENED |
| 1ST QUARTER |
| UNC Pembroke jumped out to an early 5-2 lead with a jumper from Tiara Williams just two minutes into action. USC Aiken took its first lead of the night, 8-7, off of a trey from Rikoya Anderson with 6:56 remaining in the period. The hosts limited the Braves to 2-for-7 shooting from the field to close out the stanza with the Pacers leading 19-13. |
| 2ND QUARTER |
| USC Aiken used a 10-0 scoring surge for the first five minutes of the period to extend its lead out to 28-13. Alcenia Purnell broke the silence for the Braves with a three ball to trim the deficit back to 28-16 with 4:56 remaining in the half. UNCP was limited to just 2-for-14 shooting from the field during the quarter, and the teams headed to the locker rooms with USC Aiken holding a 33-21 advantage. |
| 3RD QUARTER |
| The hosts opened the half on a 9-0 run to extend their lead out to 46-21 at the 4:23 mark. Tiara Williams knocked down a three to trim the deficit for UNCP back to 46-24 just under the four-minute mark. The Braves outscored the hosts 10-2 in the final three minutes, but USC Aiken held a hefty 51-34 lead heading into the final stanza. |
| 4TH QUARTER |
| UNCP used a three from Gabby Smith to cut the score to 54-40 at the 7:49 mark. The Braves outscored the Pacers 18-14 in the final period and scored the final basket of the contest with a jumper from Naomi Gilbert to fuel the final outcome. |
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| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
+ Alcenia Purnell scored a game-high 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Purnell added three rebounds, three assists and one steal.
+ Gabby Smith logged 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Smith has now scored in double figures in all five contests.
+ Tiara Williams also recorded double-digit scoring with 10 points. Williams logged six rebounds and one assist, steal and block. |
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| NOTABLES |
+ The setback marks second loss in the last four meetings in Aiken, S.C.
+ USC Aiken held the lead for nearly 34 minutes of action. The Braves largest lead was 5-2 at the 7:55 mark in the first period.
+ The Braves have committed 15 turnovers or less in all five contests this season. |
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| UP NEXT |
| The Braves will trek to Americus, Ga., on Saturday to take on Georgia Southwestern (5-3, 3-2 PBC). Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. inside the Storm Dome. |
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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 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. |
