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Nygell Verdier 010326
69
UNC Pembroke UNCP 6-6,3-1 Conference Carolinas
74
Winner King (TN) King 3-9,1-3 Conference Carolinas
UNC Pembroke UNCP
6-6,3-1 Conference Carolinas
69
Final
74
King (TN) King
3-9,1-3 Conference Carolinas
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNC Pembroke UNCP 42 27 69
King (TN) King 27 47 74

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

Big Second Half Helps King By Men's Basketball

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The UNC Pembroke men's basketball held a 20-point lead late in the first half, but King shot 70.3 percent from the floor in the second half to rally and defeat the Braves 74-69 on Saturday afternoon inside the Student Center Complex. 

The setback for the Braves (6-6, 3-1 CC) marked the first conference loss of the season and snapped a seven game win streak against King. The victory for the Tornado (3-9, 1-3 CC) marked the first victory against a Division II opponent this season. 

 
THE BASICS
SCORE: King 74, UNC Pembroke 69
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 6-6, 3-1 CC, King 3-9, 1-3 CC
LOCATION: Bristol, Tenn. (Student Center Complex)
HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST HALF
The game began with UNC Pembroke taking control early, building an 8-0 lead with Jonathan Kurtas contributing a layup and two free throws by the 18:27 mark. Moe Bangura added to the momentum with a dunk and a layup extending the lead to 22-9 with 10:45 remaining. King struggled to keep pace, with Lenier Pocknett converting a layup to narrow the gap slightly. However, the Braves maintained their advantage, closing the first half with a 42-27 lead after a series of scoring plays, including a 3-pointer by Javonte Waverly Waverly at 2:19.
2ND HALF
King started the half on an 18-6 run capped off with a fastbreak layup from Xavier Betancourt to cut the Tornado deficit back to 48-45 with just under 14 minutes remaining in regulation. Javonte Waverly and Demar Anderson knocked down key buckets to extend the UNCP lead out to 56-49 at the 11:19 mark, but the hosts answered with a 12-3 run to gain a 61-59 advantage with 7:48 on the clock. A dunk from Joe'l Pettiford and Javonte Waverly cut the UNCP deficit back to 68-66 with two minutes left to play, but King limited UNCP to just three points over the remaining minutes to secure the victory. 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
+ Javonte Waverly went 7-for-14 from the field to finish with a team-high 21 points. the senior pulled down six rebounds to go along with two steals in 33 minutes of work.
+ Demar Anderson turned in a career-high 17 points on a 5-for-16 shooting night. Anderson grabbed five rebounds and had one assist.
+ Nygell Verdier nearly registered a double-double with nine points and team-best seven defensive rebounds. The redshirt senior dished out six assists and recorded a pair of steals in 35 minutes of work.
NOTABLES
+ UNC Pembroke was limited to its second lowest shooting percentage of the season shooting just 37.1 percent from the floor. King shot 53.8 percent from the field fueled by a 70.3 percent shooting in the second half. 
+ King outscored UNCP 36-22 with points in the paint.
+ The Braves went 15-for-18 from the free throw line, while the Tornado were just 12-for-29 from the charity stripe. 
+ King outscored UNCP 47-27 in the second half. 
UP NEXT
The Braves will travel to Florence, S.C., on Wednesday to battle with Francis Marion. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. inside the Smith University Center. 
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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