PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke women's basketball matched a season-high 28 made free throws on Wednesday after defeating Chowan 63-54 at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
 
The Braves (19-7, 16-2 CC) have now won their last seven games and improve to 9-6 all-time against Chowan. The Hawks (14-10, 10-8 CC) have now dropped their last two outings and fall to 6-6 when playing on the road.




 

THE BASICS

SCORE: UNC Pembroke 63, Chowan 54 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 19-7, 16-2 CC; Chowan 14-10, 10-8 CC LOCATION: Pembroke, N.C. (Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

UNC Pembroke took an early 8-2 advantage after a trey from Courtney Smith with 7:19 on the clock. Chowan put together an 11-2 run to take what would be its largest lead of the evening, 13-10 with just over four minutes left in the opening period. Both teams shot 35.7 percent from the field, but a 6-0 UNCP scoring advantage gave the Braves a 16-13 lead heading into the second period.

2ND QUARTER

Five straight points from Alcenia Purnell to start the frame extended the UNCP out to 21-13 just over a minute into the action. The Hawks chipped away at their deficit, 26-23, with a jumper in the paint from Aniah Patterson with just under five minutes left in the half. Chowan shot better than 45 percent from the field, but the hosts keyed a 7-for-8 performance from the charity stripe to lead 30-26 as the teams headed into the locker rooms.

3RD QUARTER

Chowan came out of the locker room and started the half on a 6-2 scoring spurt to knot the score at 32 apiece after an old-fashioned three-point play from Keibra Hopkins. UNC Pembroke pushed its lead back out to 36-32 after a running layup from Zaria Clark with 6:18 left in the quarter. The Hawks were limited to just 21.4-percent shooting from the field, while the hosts put together a 12-9 scoring surge to hold a 48-41 lead heading into the final stanza.

4TH QUARTER

Chowan cut its deficit back to 48-45 after a 3-pointer from the corner from Aniah Patterson with 7:36 left in regulation. A Kelci Adams three ball from the top of the key cushioned the UNCP lead, 55-45 with just under five minutes left to play.  The hosts took their largest lead of the evening, 62-52, off of a fastbreak layup from Kalaya Hall with 13 ticks to finalize the outcome.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Courtney Smith finished the 14 points keyed by a 9-for-10 clip from the free throw line. The Jonesboro, Ga., native also had six steals, a trio of assists and grabbed two defensive rebounds. + Zaria Clark also turned in a 14-point night highlighted by a 4-for-10 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the charity stripe. The sophomore finished with four rebounds and a pair of assists. + Lillian Flantos added nine points on 4-for-8 shooting. The redshirt junior finished with a pair of steals and rebounds. + Aniah McManus continued to be a threat on defensive with four steals. McManus has now logged four steals on four different occasions this season. + Hannah Russell came off of the bench and pulled down a career-high and game-best 10 rebounds.

NOTABLES

+ Wednesday's victory matched the programs most home wins in 31 seasons. The Braves posted 13 victories in Pembroke on the way to a 23-7 clip during the 1991-92 season. Three times have since registered 11 wins at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court, including last year's club that finished with an 11-5 mark in Pembroke.  + The Black & Gold finished with a 28-for-36 (77.8%) performance from the charity stripe. The 28 made free throws matched a season-high, while the 36 attempted free throw attempted were the most this season. + UNCP picked up 22 points off of 24 Chowan turnovers.  + UNC Pembroke limited Chowan to a season-low nine points in the paint. The Braves scored 22 points inside the paint.

UP NEXT

The Braves will trek to Franklin Springs, Ga., on Saturday for battle Emmanuel (12-9, 11-6 CC). Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Shaw Athletic Center.

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BACK THE BRAVES

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.