PEMBROKE — In some of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke men’s basketball team’s games early this season, the Braves have played a strong first half and then tried to hold on to a lead as they struggled in the second half.

Saturday, that plot was reversed.

The Braves struggled in the first half against Georgia College, then as chasers played well enough in the second half to make the game close before falling 76-74.

“The mark of an immature team is only being able to play one half of basketball,” UNCP coach Drew Richards said. “It’s kind of been our M.O. all year; we really start out strong in the first half, and then second half a lot of teams get back in. This time, we started weak in the first half, and then in the second half we did the things we needed to do to be successful. Some young guys, some new guys are going through some growing pains.

“The things that you learn in November and December about your team, we’re learning right now in the middle of Peach Belt play. I’m not upset with the amount of fight we had in the second half. I thought we fought until the very end, which I was very proud of. I was more upset with our effort in the first half.”

Georgia College (4-2, 4-2 PBC) shot 60.0% (15-for-25) overall and 75.0% (6-for-8) from 3-point range in the first half. The PBC’s top-ranked defense statistically held UNCP (2-3, 2-2 PBC) to 34.4% (11-for-32) shooting over the first 20 minutes.

A 20-7 run in the middle of the half turned an early 16-9 UNCP lead into a 29-23 Bobcats advantage, and Georgia College led 38-29 at halftime.

UNCP started the second half with an 8-0 run to close to within a point, and briefly took leads of 41-40 and 43-42 on a pair of Cortez Marion-Holmes baskets. Georgia College retook the lead with a Brandon Thomas 3-pointer, the Bobcats’ first basket of the half, with 12:41 to go.

From a 47-47 tie, Georgia College went ahead 53-47 on six straight Wesley Simpson points. The Braves closed to 55-52 before a theme for the stretch run was established: Georgia College hitting tough shots as the shot clock expired after UNCP had played 30 seconds of strong defense. The first, a bank shot by Thomas, put the Bobcats up 57-52 with 6:35 to go.

The Braves stayed close as Trenton McIntyre hit two 3-pointers and an additional 2-point basket, all of which got the Braves within three of the Bobcats.

Then, two more backbreaking shots at the shot-clock horn: Simpson hit a 27-foot triple for a 69-61 lead with 1:57 to go, then after Jordan Ratliffe hit a 3-pointer for the Braves, Christian Koneman hit a jumper with 37 seconds left to go up 71-64.

Simpson’s shot in particular was a microcosm of the sophomore’s afternoon. He finished with 33 points on 10-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-7 from distance and 9-for-10 at the free-throw line; he also had four assists. Thomas scored 12 for the Bobcats and Koneman had 10.

“It’s the game of basketball. That’s what keeps it entertaining. That’s why we do what we do,” Richards said. “Wesley Simpson comes into the game shooting, I think, below 33%, and he shot the heck out of it and hit an NBA-range 3. Brandon Thomas came in the game, shooting 12% and shot the heck out of it.”

Four final-minute free-throws by McIntyre and a Ratliffe 3-pointer got the Braves to a 74-71 deficit with 12 seconds left, then after Chapin Rierson hit one of two free throws, another Ratliffe 3 made it 75-74 with 1.8 seconds to go.

Rierson made one of two at the line, and a full-court heave at the buzzer for the Braves was unsuccessful.

Ratliffe made six total 3-pointers and scored 20 points. McIntyre scored 19 points, with three triples and a 4-for-4 free-throw mark.

“As far as being cognizant and aware of handling the basketball and executing offensively, I thought we actually got some pretty good shots, we got the ball inside when we needed to, and did some things good on that mark,” Richards said. “But it’s all a growing process.”

In the frontcourt, Cortez Marion-Holmes fouled out with 16 points and eight rebounds and Spencer Levi had 10 points with 11 rebounds.

But the Braves struggled at the free-throw line — particularly Levi and Marion-Holmes, who were a combined 8-for-17 as part of the team’s 16-for-27 mark from the stripe.

“(Levi and Marion-Holmes) are both good shooters,” Richards said. “It’s just one of those things that right now, mentally, I think it’s a confidence issue, but like we’ve preached, get in the gym, keep getting the shots up, keep getting the work in and eventually they’ll start going in a little bit more consistently.”

The Braves committed just six turnovers.

UNCP’s men will return to action Wednesday at Francis Marion.

Lady Braves vs. Georgia College rescheduled for Sunday

The UNCP women’s basketball team will play its first game in 15 days when it hosts Georgia College Sunday at 1 p.m. The game had been originally scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed a day due to PBC protocols regarding COVID-19.

The game is closed to the public and no spectators will be admitted. A live video stream will be available on the UNCP Sports Network and the school will also provide a live statistics link online.