ROCK HILL, S.C. – The UNC Pembroke women's basketball team shot better than 35-percent in each quarter and picked up 34 points in the paint on the way to a 65-45 victory against Division I Winthrop on Saturday afternoon at Winthrop Coliseum in an exhibition contest.
The victory for the Braves (3-2) marked the fourth Division I victory in program history, but the first since a 67-62 victory against Campbell in an exhibition contest on November 13, 2015. The setback for the Eagles (0-6) marked the second straight loss to a Division II program after a 51-44 loss to Coker on Wednesday.
| THE BASICS |
SCORE: UNC Pembroke 65, Winthrop 45
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 3-2; Winthrop 0-6
LOCATION: Rock Hill, S.C. (Winthrop Coliseum) |
|
| HOW IT HAPPENED |
| 1ST QUARTER |
| J'mani Ingram's running layup 30 ticks into the contest put Winthrop on the board first, but UNC Pembroke went on an 13-0 run capped off by a 3-pointer from Alcenia Purnell just under the four-minute mark to put UNCP ahead 13-2. The hosts used a 7-0 scoring surge to trim their deficit back to 13-9, but a Kelci Adams jumper ended the quarter with the Braves leading 15-9. |
| 2ND QUARTER |
| Winthrop's Ally Ross drained two free throws to make it a one possession game, 19-17 with 6:57 left in the half. The Braves extended its lead out to 25-18 off of a Tiara Williams jumper at the two-minute mark. UNCP limited Winthrop to just 3-for-17 shooting during the frame and held a 27-20 lead as the teams headed into the locker rooms. |
| 3RD QUARTER |
| The hosts knotted the score at 29 apiece when Sydney Hunter capitalized on two free throws just three minutes into the half. UNC Pembroke used a 10-0 scoring run fueled by a Kelci Adams trey to push the lead out to 42-32 with 2-1/2 minutes left in the quarter. UNCP limited the Eagles to 25-percent shooting from the 3-point line during the stanza and held a 42-36 lead heading into the final period. |
| 4TH QUARTER |
| Syndey Hunter's old-fashioned three-point play at the 4-1/2 minute mark whittled the Eagles deficit back to 51-45, but that would be the final basket the hosts would score. UNC Pembroke outscored Winthrop 14-0 over the final minutes and shot better than 60-percent during the period to help secure the outcome. |
|
| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
+ Gabby Smith recorded her first double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Smith was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe and was 7-for-13 from the field.
+ Alcenia Purnell logged double-digit scoring with 14 points highlighted by a 3-for-5 performance from the 3-point line. Purnell also dished out three assists and grabbed three rebounds.
+ Tiara Williams flirted with a double-double performance with 14 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
+ Kelci Adams also added 10 points and had a team-best four assists. |
|
| NOTABLES |
+ The Black & Gold continued to see success using the inside game picking up 34 points inside the paint.
+ The outcome marks the fourth Division I victory for the program, but the first since a 67-62 victory against Campbell in an exhibition contest on November 13, 2015. UNCP has now defeated High Point (2000), UNC Wilmington (2013), Campbell (2015), and Winthrop (2021).
+ The Braves defense limited Winthrop to just 3-for-27 (11.1%) shooting from the 3-point line and 14-for-59 (23.7%) from the field during the contest. |
|
| UP NEXT |
| The Braves will step back into Conference Carolinas play on Tuesday when they travel to Murfreesboro to take on Chowan (1-2, 1-0 CC). Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at Bob Burke Court. |
|
| 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. |
