PEMBROKE – Shaw scored four-straight points to rally back from a late deficit and tie the game with 32 seconds to play, but an offensive rebound and ensuing layup from Cortez Marion-Holmes with 0.8 seconds left on the other end of the floor helped the 9th-ranked UNC Pembroke men's basketball team turn back the upset-minded Bears, 62-60, on Saturday in the opening game of the Virginia State-hosted Thanksgiving Classic.

It is the sixth-straight win for UNCP who moved to 6-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 squad won seven-straight games to start the season. It is the second loss in the last three outings for Shaw (2-5) who came into the game fresh off of a 43-point win at Morris on Tuesday evening.
 

THE BASICS

SCORE: UNC Pembroke 62, Shaw 60 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 6-0; Shaw 2-5 LOCATION: Petersburg, Va. (VSU Thanksgiving Classic)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST HALF

The Braves committed 11 turnovers and missed 18 of their last 19 shots of the opening half en route to starting at a 36-27 deficit at the intermission. UNCP scored four-straight points to grab a 19-17 advantage with 13:13 left before the break, but a layup by Jamari Roberts more than a minute later signaled a 10-0 run for the Bears amid a scoring drought of more than 4-1/2 minutes by the Black & Gold. The Braves pulled to within three points, 28-25, on a layup from Cortez Marion-Holmes at the 6:00 mark, but Shaw closed out the half with an 8-2 run to swing the momentum.

2ND HALF

UNCP opened the second half with a 14-3 run that eventually gave it a 41-39 following an old-fashioned 3-point play from Javonte Waverly at the 13:30 mark. It was a back-and-forth affair for the next nine minutes until the Braves scored eight-straight points to forge a 59-53 advantage with 55 seconds left. The Bears hit a pair of free throws with 32 seconds remaining to even the game back up, but the dramatics on the other end of the floor proved to be the difference.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Sophomore Bradlee Haskell matched a game-high with 17 points on 5-of-6 field goal shooting, including a 3-for-4 clip from the perimeter. He also added two rebounds and a pair of assists. + Sophomore Javonte Waverly chipped in a dozen points, while also adding six rebounds and a team-best three steals. + Newcomer Qon Murphy pulled down a team-best seven rebounds, including six defensive boards.

NOTABLES

+ Saturday's matchup between the Bears and UNCP marked the first meeting between the two squads since Dec. 16, 2006. Shaw grabbed a 72-57 home win in that matchup. + UNCP fell on the wrong end of the rebounding battle for the first time this season as Shaw posted a 33-32 advantage on the boards. It is the first time since a 98-88 home loss to Southern Wesleyan last season that UNCP has succumbed in the battle of the boards. + The Black & Gold is 6-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 squad reeled off seven-straight wins to start the season. It is just the seventh time in the 84-season history of the program that the Braves have opened a season with six consecutive victories.

UP NEXT

UNCP will battle tournament-host Virginia State on Sunday to close out round-robin tournament play inside the VSU Multipurpose Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

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BACK THE BRAVES

Fans can help support the UNC Pembroke Men'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.