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Elijah Cobb 012123
83
Winner UNC Pembroke UNCP 19-1,11-1 Conference Carolinas
71
Francis Marion FMU 10-7,7-4 Conference Carolinas
Winner
UNC Pembroke UNCP
19-1,11-1 Conference Carolinas
83
Final
71
Francis Marion FMU
10-7,7-4 Conference Carolinas
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNC Pembroke UNCP 35 48 83
Francis Marion FMU 35 36 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Todd Anderson, Associate AD/Strategic Initiatives

No. 10 Men’s Basketball Turns Table, Downs Francis Marion

FLORENCE, S.C. – The visiting and 10th-ranked UNC Pembroke men's basketball team was unable to shake off upset-minded Francis Marion amid a modest first-half shooting effort, but the Braves found their hot hand in the second half and used a 13-3 run in the closing minutes of the game to turn back the Patriots, 83-71, on Saturday evening inside the Smith University Center.
 
The result marked the 12th-straight win for the Black & Gold (19-1, 11-1 CC) who tacked up their 21st-straight regular season road victory in the process as well. It was the third-straight setback for the Patriots (10-7, 7-4) who have now dropped four-straight at home in the series with their I-95 rivals.
 
THE BASICS
SCORE: UNC Pembroke 83, Francis Marion 71
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 19-1, 11-1 CC; Francis Marion 10-7, 7-4 CC
LOCATION: Florence, S.C. (Smith University Center)
HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST HALF
The Braves posted an uncharacteristic 35.3 percent clip from the field in the opening half, but kept themselves in the action with eight offensive rebounds that led to 10 second-chance points. The opening stanza showed five lead changes and six tie scores, including a 35-35 stalemate heading into the locker rooms. The Patriots were unable to hold a late lead in the first period, despite shooting 48 percent from the field, while also boasting a 12-for-17 clip from the free throw line.
2ND HALF
UNCP turned up the volume on its shooting percentage in the second stanza, this time connecting on 18 of their 28 field goal attempts (.643), while also claiming a 19-10 advantage on the boards. The hosts claimed a short-lived lead, 38-35, following a 3-pointer from Tionne Rollins just 32 seconds into the second half, but UNCP knotted the score back up on Bradlee Haskell's triple 39 seconds later and never trailed after that. FMU pulled to within a lone point, 67-66, on a running layup by Alex Cox with 4:53 to play, but a hook shot from Cortez Marion-Holmes on the other end of the court sparked a 13-3 run by the visitors that spanned the next 3-1/2 minutes.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
+ Sophomore Bradlee Haskell and redshirt freshman Cortez Marion-Holmes both registered a team-best 14 points against the Patriots. Marion-Holmes added four rebounds and a career-best four assists, while Haskell tallied three rebounds and a trio of assists.
+ Sophomore Nygell Vedier added 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, and barely missed a double-double with nine rebounds as well. He also finished his night with three assists.
+ Redshirt sophomore Elijah Cobb turned in a monstrous defensive performance, finishing his outing with nine points, seven rebounds, four blocks, two steals and a pair of assists.
NOTABLES
+ The Braves have now won 12-straight games since dropping an 89-76 home decision to Francis Marion back on November 30. Saturday's result also marked the 21st-straight regular season road win for the club.
+ UNCP improved to 52-36 all-time in the series with the Patriots, and have now 10 of the last 12 in the series with FMU, including four-straight triumphs in FMU's Smith University Center.
+ Head coach Drew Richards is now 49-8 (.860) in the midst of his second full season as skipper of the Black & Gold. The Braves were 3-3 amid a CoVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, and registered a 27-4 mark last season.
UP NEXT
The Braves will begin a 3-game home stand on Wednesday when they take on Mount Olive (7-12, 5-6 CC) in the second half of a 5 p.m. doubleheader on Military Appreciation Night at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
STAY CONNECTED
Follow UNCP Men's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" UNCP Men's Basketball on Facebook.
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.
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