PEMBROKE – UNC Pembroke forced 15 Lander turnovers and converted those into 17 points, but Lander used 46 points in the paint to secure a 76-66 victory over the UNC Pembroke women's basketball team on Wednesday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
 
The Braves (2-10, 2-11 PBC) close out the home portion of their season with a 2-5 record at home, while the victory for the Bearcats (16-0, 14-0 PBC) marks the ninth straight win against UNCP. 







 

THE BASICS

SCORE: #2 Lander 76, UNC Pembroke 66 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke (2-11, 2-10 PBC) #2 Lander 16-0, 14-0 PBC) LOCATION: Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court (Pembroke, N.C.)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

UNC Pembroke took what would be its largest lead of the evening, 7-5, with a fast break trey from Tiara Williams just two minutes into action. Lander took a 14-7 advantage with a layup from Sarah Crews with 5-1/2 minutes on the clock. Alcenia Purnell knocked down a three to end the quarter with the Bearcats holding a slight 19-15 lead heading into the second quarter.

2ND QUARTER

UNCP knotted the score at 23 apiece with two made free throws from Gabby Smith with 5:50 remaining in the half. Lander put together a 16-8 run over the final minutes of the half and held a 39-31 lead as the teams headed to the locker rooms.

3RD QUARTER

The Bearcats used a fast break layup from Zamiya Passmore to take a 45-36 lead four minutes into the half. UNCP scored the next nine points to tie the score at 45 apiece with 4:25 remaining in the quarter. The Braves knocked down 3-for-6 attempts from deep and limited Lander to 0-for-2 from the 3-point line, but the Bearcats held a 55-50 lead with a jumper at the buzzer from Zamiya Passmore.

4TH QUARTER

Lander started the quarter on a 17-6 scoring run and took its largest lead of the night, 72-56, with a running layup from Zamiya Passmore with 4-1/2 minutes left to play. UNC Pembroke responded with an 8-0 run of their own, but the Bearcats connected on their final drive to secure the outcome.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Gabby Smith scored a career-high 20 points on 8-for-16 shooting. Smith added four rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes of action. + Tiara Williams also had a career-high 18 points and 11 rebounds.  This is the second double-double of the season for Williams, who also added three steals. + Courtney Smith added eight points and six rebounds. Smith logged three steals and dished out three assists.

NOTABLES

+ UNCP has shot 40 percent or better from the field in each of its last four outings – the best shooting stretch for the club since shooting 40 percent in three-straight games early in the 2018-19 campaign (December 1-17). + The Braves forced 15 Bearcat turnovers and converted those into 17 points.  + Lander has now posted double-digit point wins in 12 of their 16 contests this season.

UP NEXT

The Braves will travel to Georgia on Saturday to face Augusta (6-7, 5-4 PBC). Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. inside the Christenberry Fieldhouse.

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.