MORROW, Ga. – Clayton State (3-16, 1-11 PBC) stayed with UNC Pembroke (16-4, 10-2 PBC) for much of the first half and battled back late in the second before falling 85-74 in an NCAA Division II men's basketball game on Saturday, February 1.
 
Senior guard Kyle Kincey (Tallahassee, Fla.) led five Lakers in double-figures as he finished with 15 points, eight boards, five assists and a pair of steals while redshirt-sophomore Bryan Hart (Hampton, Va.) came away with 14 points, four assists and four rebounds.
 
They were joined by sophomore forward Ricardo Saams, Jr. (Miramar, Fla.) with 14 points and four caroms and redshirt-junior center Tionne Williams, Jr. (Phenix City, Ala.) with 14 points, six boards and two assists. Junior guard Byron Abrams (Conyers, Ga.) rounded things out with 13 points, six boards, four assists and a pair of steals.
 
Facing the top team in the Peach Belt Conference, Clayton State hung with them for much of the first half as the clubs battled through five lead changes over the first 5:50. The last of those would see UNCP go from down 6-5 to up 18-11 by the 10:51 mark behind a 13-5 run before the Lakers climbed back to within two behind a 5-0 burst from Williams, Jr.
 
They would stay within four points and cut it to 22-20 with 6:46 showing on the clock before the Braves flexed their muscles. Over the rest of the half they compiled a 17-6 run behind four different scores to take a 39-26 lead into the break.
 
That lead would grow to 21 points over the first three-plus minutes of the second half and not sink back to 14 until the 12 minute mark when the Lakers got within 60-46. They got there off of the first of back-to-back triples by Hart that cut the deficit to within 11 points with 9:44 remaining. From there UNCP pushed back to a 16 point spread at 70-54 but it wouldn't stay that way.
 
In a span of 2:37 Clayton State clawed their way back to within seven points as Saams, Jr. bookended a 9-0 run to make it 70-63 by the 4:02 mark. At that point, however, the Braves would extend the lead back to 14 at 1:19 before closing out the 85-74 victory little more than a minute later.
 
Spencer Levi fueled the UNC Pembroke offensive attack with a game-high 21 points to with nine boards while the PBC's all-time leading rebounder Akia Pruitt finished with 14 points, nine more caroms and three steals.
 
Tyrell Kirk put up 13 points with four steals and as many rebounds and David Strother had 10 points, seven boards, three assists and two steals. Carson Mounce had 10 points and Jordan Ratliffe and Micah Kinsey chipped in with nine and eight points, respectively.
 
The Lakers conclude a three game home stretch when they host the "run-and-gun" offense of Young Harris on Wednesday, February 5. Game time is slated for approximately 7:30 p.m. at The Loch.
 
FULL GAME VIDEO

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