Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

UNCP Athletics

scoreboard

Anastasia Sinclair 110824
56
Wingate Win 0-1,0-0 SAC
60
Winner UNC Pembroke UNCP 1-0,0-0 Conference Carolinas
Wingate Win
0-1,0-0 SAC
56
Final
60
UNC Pembroke UNCP
1-0,0-0 Conference Carolinas
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Wingate Win 13 14 14 15 56
UNC Pembroke UNCP 20 12 17 11 60

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Morgan Sheehan, Assistant AD/Communications & Strategic Initiatives

No. 25 Women’s Basketball Holds Off Wingate

FLORENCE, S.C. – The 25th-ranked UNC Pembroke women's basketball team shot 41.8 percent from the floor and limited Wingate to just 37.7 shooting on the way to a 60-56 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday evening inside the Smith University Center. 
 
The victory for the Braves (1-0) marked the first win against Wingate in the last 11 meetings and marked the first win for Dr. Kendra Samuels-Eaton as head coach. The setback for the Bulldogs (0-1) marked the worst shooting performance in a season-opener since the 2020-21 season. 



 
THE BASICS
SCORE: #25 UNC Pembroke 60, Wingate 56
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 1-0, Wingate 0-1
LOCATION: Florence, S.C. (Smith Univeristy Center)
HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST QUARTER
UNC Pembroke scored the first 10 points of the game capped off with a triple from Kelci Adams at the 6:07 mark. Bethel Ekperigha stopped the scoring drought for Wingate with a layup, but UNCP answered with an 8-2 surge polished with threes from Kelci Adams and Stella Mollica to push the UNCP lead out to 18-4 with four minutes left in the period. The Bulldogs scored nine straight points, but Amanda Sacoto's bucket with 18 second on the clock gave the Braves a 20-13 lead at the end of the opening period. 
2ND QUARTER
UNCP padded its lead, 24-19, with a jumper in the paint from Zaria Clark, but Wingate answered with a running layup from Aniyay Oliver to cut the Bulldogs deficit back 24-17 with six minutes to play in the half. Wingate put together an 8-2 surge to trail just 26-25 with 1:33 on the clock, but Stella Mollica's jumper and a pair of baskets from Zaria Clark sent the teams to the locker rooms with the Braves leading 32-27. 
3RD QUARTER
Stella Mollica's jumper cushioned the UNCP lead, 36-29, but Wingate scored the next two baskets to trail just 36-33 with 7:34 on the clock. The Braves put together a 7-0 run capped off with a fastbreak layup from Anastasia Sinclair to push the UNC Pembroke lead out to 42-33 with just under five minutes remaining in the period. The Bulldogs kept chipping away at their deficit, 44-37, but the Braves held a 49-41 advantage heading into the final stanza. 
4TH QUARTER
Both teams struggled offensive to start the period, but Maya Hood's jumper at the 6:15 mark gave UNCP a 51-42 lead. Wingate's 7-0 run cut its deficit back to 51-49 at the four-minute mark, but Tiana Spann's fastbreak layup stopped the run moments later. Lia Anderson's layup cut the Bulldogs deficit back to 55-53 with 90 seconds left in regulation, but UNCP went 7-for-12 from the free throw line to secure the victory. 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
+ Newcomer Stella Mollica finished with a team-best 16 points on a perfect 6-for-6 clip from the field. The senior dished out four assists and had two steals while grabbing one rebound in 38 minutes of work.
+ Zaria Clark nearly registered a double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds. The senior added one steal and one assist as well. 
+ Kelci Adams flirted with a double-double as well with nine points and nine defensive rebounds. The graduate student dished out four assists and also had a steal. 
NOTABLES
+ UNC Pembroke shot 41.8 percent from the field. The Braves shot 50-percent or better from the field in the first and third quarters. 
+ The Black & Gold scored 20 points off of 20 Wingate turnovers. 
+ The victory for the Braves marked the first win against Wingate in the last 11 meetings. 
+ Dr. Kendra Samuels-Eaton picked up her first win as head coach of the Braves. 
UP NEXT
The Braves will be back in action on Saturday when they battle Coker in the Conference Challenge. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. inside the Smith University Center in Florence, S.C. 
STAY CONNECTED
Follow UNCP Women's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" UNCP Women's Basketball on Facebook.
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.
Print Friendly Version