PEMBROKE, N.C. – Clayton State (9-17, 6-14 PBC) could not withstand a withering offensive run to end the first half as UNC Pembroke (19-7, 14-6 PBC) powered past them by a 122-96 score in an NCAA Division II men's basketball game on Saturday, February 23.
 
Junior guard Kyle Kincey (Tallahassee, Fla.) led the way for the Lakers with 11 points and a career-high tying seven assists while senior guard Justin Tuckson (Stafford, Va.) knocked down three triples on his way to a team-high 17 points.
 
Junior guard D'von Moore (Statesboro, Ga.) equaled his career-high with 16 points and reset his personal with five threes, going 5-of-9 on the day. Those were also the only field goals he attempted in his 17 minutes. Redshirt-senior guard Aubrey McRae (Augusta, Ga.) put up 13 points and freshman guard Arusha Hunter (Snellville, Ga.) chipped in with eight points in six minutes.
 
The clubs would be separated by no more than six points over the first five and a half minutes and would be as close as 16-14, UNCP, at the 13:49 mark. An 11-2 outburst by the Braves, keyed by a four-point play from Jamal Bryant, would then extend that margin to 27-16 with just under 12 to play in the half.
 
Playing in front of a rather partial UNC Pembroke home crowd of 1,016, Clayton State would answer that run with a 9-2 stretch of their own to get back within 29-25 by the 9:06 mark. Things would change dramatically from there on in, however, as the Braves took full control courtesy of a 32-12 explosion to end the half. That performance left them with a commanding 61-37 lead at the break.
 
Clayton State would come out firing to start the second half as they battled back to within 15 on a pair of occasions, the second of which came at 67-52 with 16:20 on the clock. That would be as close as they would get, however, as UNCP used the next three minutes to push out to a 26-point spread, 80-54, with a 13-2 run. That margin would eventually grow to 36 at 102-66 before the Braves closed out the 122-96 victory.
 
David Strother led UNC Pembroke with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting while Akia Pruitt joined him with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. The latter added seven boards and a pair of blocks. Cam Hamilton drained three three-pointers on his way to 19 points and added seven assists and a pair of steals and James Murray-Boyles had 16 points and 11 caroms. Spencer Levi chipped in with nine points and six boards and Bryant and Micah Kinsey had nine and eight points, respectively.
 
The Lakers remain right in the thick of the race for the final spot in the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Tournament as they travel to Georgia Southwestern on Wednesday, February 27. That game will tip at approximately 7:30 p.m. in Americus, Georgia.
 
In what appears to be a battle that will come down to them and rival Columbus State, the teams are separated by just one game in the standings with one more head-to-head meeting to close out the regular season at The Loch on Saturday, March 2. It looks like a pair of victories, including one over the Cougars to sweep the season series, would secure the final postseason position.
 
Stay tuned to www.ClaytonStateSports.com for further developments on Clayton State's postseason push.