PEMBROKE – Belmont Abbey shot 52.9 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and drained 10 triples on the way to a 55-51 victory over the UNC Pembroke women's basketball team on Wednesday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
 
The Braves (19-9, 16-4 CC) finished the season 11-2 when playing in Pembroke and are now 9-5 all-time against Belmont Abbey. The Crusaders (22-4, 19-1 CC) have now their last five contests and improve to 11-1 when playing on the road. 



 

THE BASICS

SCORE: Belmont Abbey 55, UNC Pembroke 51 RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 19-9, 16-4 CC; Belmont Abbey 22-4, 19-1 CC LOCATION: Pembroke, N.C. (Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

Belmont Abbey took an early 11-5 lead after three from the top of the key from Peyton Nation halfway through the opening period. UNC Pembroke picked up four consecutive points from Zaria Clark to trim its deficit back to 11-9 with three minutes on the clock. The hosts shot 33.3 percent from the field and knotted the score at 13 apiece after a jumper in the corner from Lillian Flantos as time expired.

2ND QUARTER

A 12-0 UNCP run keyed by a seven-point performance from Courtney Smith gave the Braves a 25-13 lead with just 3:17 remaining in the half. Belmont Abbey shot just 15.4 percent from the field, while the Braves shot a game-best 42.3 percent from the field to hold a 28-18 lead as the teams headed into the locker rooms.

3RD QUARTER

The Crusaders scored the first five points of the half to chip away at their deficit, but UNC Pembroke pushed its lead back out to 33-25 after a layup from Lillian Flantos with 7:37 on the clock. Both teams struggled to score offensively for over five minutes, but Zaria Clark broke the silence with a free throw with just under 3-1/2 minutes remaining in the period. Alcenia Purnell's three-point play padded the UNCP lead, 38-30, heading into the final stanza.

4TH QUARTER

UNCP took its first double-digit lead, 40-30, after a jumper in the paint from Zaria Clark just a minute into the frame. Belmont Abbey put together an 11-0 scoring surge to take a slight 45-43 advantage with a three in the corner from Cate Schieber. The Braves tied the score at 50 apiece with a midrange jumper from Kalaya Hall with 59 seconds left in regulation, but the Crusaders made good on three of their final four attempts from the charity stripe to swing the momentum.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Zaria Clark registered 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting. The sophomore pulled down seven defensive rebounds, dished out a pair of assists and had one steal in 40 minutes of action. + Courtney Smith added 10 points on a 4-for-11 performance. Smith grabbed five rebounds and had four steals. + Kalaya Hall logged eight points, while pulled down a trio of rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 27 minutes of work.

NOTABLES

+ UNC Pembroke saw success on the inside game posting 20 points in the paint. + The Braves defense limited the Crusaders to just 33.9-percent shooting from the field. The performance from Belmont Abbey marked worst outing in 12 games, and was just their second time this season shooting under 35 percent. + The Black & Gold tallied five blocks, which marked the second-most of the season. Kalaya Hall and Lillian Flantos each had two.

UP NEXT

The Braves will now turn their attention to the Conference Carolinas Tournament. UNCP earned a No. 3 seed in the tournament, and will play in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 3 at 1:30 p.m. at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C.

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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.