PEMBROKE – Visiting Wingate connected on 18-of-25 attempts from the free throw line and shot better than 63-percent in the third quarter to help secure a 66-59 victory over the UNC Pembroke women's basketball team on Saturday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
The Braves (1-1) have now lost the last eight outings against the Bulldogs (1-1), who last tasted defeat on December 1, 2021, with a 63-58 loss in Pembroke. Wingate holds the overall matchup 32-13.
| THE BASICS |
SCORE: Wingate 66, UNC Pembroke 59
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 1-1; Wingate 1-1
LOCATION: Pembroke, N.C. (Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court) |
|
| HOW IT HAPPENED |
| 1ST QUARTER |
| UNC Pembroke and Wingate both suffered from cold shooting to start the game, but Peyton Davis broke the silence with a running layup in the paint at the seven-minute mark. The Bulldogs pushed their lead out to 12-5 after a trey from Lauren Sullivan with just under two minutes left in the quarter. Kelci Adams knocked down two free throws followed by a Lillian Flantos jumper to end the period with Wingate leading 12-9. |
| 2ND QUARTER |
| UNCP took what would be its only lead of the night, 19-18, after a 3-pointer from Kelci Adams with 5:52 remaining in the half. The hosts connected on 4-for-7 of their attempts from the 3-point line during the frame, but the Bulldogs outscored the Braves 14-6 in the final minutes to hold a slight 30-25 advantage as the teams headed into the locker rooms. |
| 3RD QUARTER |
| Wingate pushed its lead back out to 40-31 after a fastbreak layup from Peyton Davis four minutes into the half. UNC Pembroke chipped away at its deficit with a 9-2 scoring surge to make it a one possession game with 2:53 remaining in the quarter. Gabby Smith's running layup with one minute left helped cut the Braves deficit back to 44-43, but the Bulldogs held a 47-44 lead heading into the final stanza. |
| 4TH QUARTER |
| Wingate took its largest lead of the evening, 58-48, after Petyon Davis made a three with four minutes left in regulations. Freshman Zaria Clark drained a three ball from the top of the key with 30 seconds remaining to trim the Braves deficit back to five points, but the Bulldogs made six of their final eight free throws to help secure the outcome. |
|
| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
+ Gabby Smith scored a team-high 11 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field. Smith also logged a team-high six rebounds while also recorded one steal.
+ Kelci Adams also scored in double-figures with 10 points. Adams was 2-for-7 from the three-point line and pulled down four boards.
+ Courtney Smith and Alcenia Purnell each had four assists. Smith added four points, while Purnell tallied six points. |
|
| NOTABLES |
+ UNC Pembroke picked up 31 points from its bench fueled by Gabby Smith and Kelci Adams. Newcomer Zaria Clark also added seven points coming off the bench.
+ The Braves forced the Bulldogs to 17 turnovers and converted those into 12 points.
+ UNCP saw success for the second straight outing in their transition and inside game scoring 14 fastbreak points and 22 points in the paint.
+ The Black & Gold has now lost the last four meetings at home to Wingate. The Bulldogs have won the eight meetings against the Braves. |
|
| UP NEXT |
| The Braves will be back in action on Wednesday when they make the short trip to Fayetteville State (0-0). Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. inside the Felton J. Capel Arena. |
|
| STAY CONNECTED |
| Follow UNCP Women's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" UNCP Women's Basketball on Facebook. |
|
| 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. |
