PEMBROKE — When Natalie Evington graduates from Purnell Swett next spring, she won’t have to go far to play college basketball.

The Rams’ senior shooting guard announced in a social media post Sunday she has committed to play at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

“It just felt like home,” Evington said. “The coaches always made me feel welcome. I met the girls on the basketball team, they were really nice. So it just felt right.”

The 5-foot-6 Evington is averaging 20.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game through seven games of her senior season, and is 33 points away from the 1,000-point mark in her high school career. Purnell Swett’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, Evington averaged 15.5 points per game as a junior, helping lead the Rams to a 25-1 season including United-8 Conference regular-season and tournament titles and the Robeson County Shootout championship.

“(UNCP coach John Haskins) and those guys did a good job of letting her know how important she was,” Purnell Swett coach Kalen Eddings said. “I know as of late, their love for her has kind of grown; she’s been shooting the ball great and playing well, and they made her a priority — and she felt like she was a priority, she felt valued.

“I think they’re getting a knock-down shooter that can shoot the ball a lot of ways. … Her shot-making is crafty and she knows how to make shots a lot of ways.”

Evington will become the first player from a Robeson County high school to play for the Braves women’s basketball program in recent history.

“I love my community around here, and I know I’ll have a lot of support, since I’m close to home and people can come watch me play,” Evington said.

Evington also had offers from Meredith and William Peace, along with Division-I interest from USC Upstate, Charleston, Charleston Southern and Presbyterian, among others.

With the majority of her senior season remaining, Evington was ready to go ahead and make her college decision known and relieve the pressure of recruiting as she continues playing for the Rams, who are 6-1 ahead of Wednesday’s Robeson County Shootout opener at Lumberton.

“It was a big relief, a big chip on my shoulder,” Evington said. “I don’t have to worry about the recruiting process anymore.”