MOUNT OLIVE — The UNC Pembroke women’s basketball team was firing on all cylinders on Wednesday night shooting a season-high 54.5% from the field to fuel a 77-34 victory against Mount Olive inside Kornegay Arena.

The victory for the Braves (20-6, 14-2 CC) marked the first win in the last four trips against Mount Olive when playing at Kornegay Arena. The setback for the Trojans (7-17, 5-11 CC) marks the third straight loss and fall to 3-7 when playing at home this season.

UNC Pembroke took an early 9-0 lead after a triple from Courtney Smith halfway through the quarter. Reagan Hune drained a 3-pointer to cut the Mount Olive deficit back 9-3, but UNCP shot a game-high 63.6% from the field and held a 20-9 lead at the end of the quarter.

Kelci Adams extended the UNCP lead, 23-9, with a triple just a minute into the second period, but UMO would score the next five points to cut their deficit back to 23-14 with 6:25 remaining in the half. The Braves closed out the half on a 14-6 run to lead 37-20 as the teams headed into the locker rooms.

A 8-0 run from UNC Pembroke to start the second half padded the Black & Gold’s lead 48-21 with a 3-pointer from Kalaya Hall at the 5:18 mark. Mount Olive scored the next five points to cut its deficit back to 48-26, but the Braves used a 12-0 scoring surge to lead 60-26. Dominique Pacheco canned a 3-pointer at the buzzer as UNCP held a 60-29 advantage heading into the final stanza.

The Black & Gold shot 58.3% from the field during the final frame and led 67-33 lead after a triple from Anastasia Sinclair with 6:45 remaining in regulation. The Braves limited the Trojans to just 13.3% shooting during the quarter and took their largest lead of the night, 77-34, after a triple from Smith with just over a minute left on the clock.

Adams finished with a game-best and a career-high 23 points highlighted by a 7-for-10 clip from the perimeter. The redshirt junior nearly recorded a double-double with seven rebounds in 28 minutes of action. The seven made 3-pointers matches a school record set by Ginnell Curtis during the 2001-02 season.

Hall chipped in 14 points on a 5-for-12 shooting night while dishing out five assists.

Zaria Clark added 11 points while Smith finished with 10 points.

The Braves recorded a season-high 11 three-pointers.

UNCP limited Mount Olive to a season-low 19.3% shooting and a season-low 34 points.

The Black & Gold scored 25 points off of 18 UMO turnovers. UNCP also held a 24-6 advantage with points in the paint.

UNC Pembroke did not trail during Wednesday’s contest.

The Braves will hit the road for the final time of the regular season on Saturday when they travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to face Converse. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. inside the Tom & Tracy Hannah Gym.

Braves softball splits doubleheader with Catawba

The UNC Pembroke softball team scored all three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and used a walkoff homerun from Emma Eckhart to defeat Catawba 3-2 in the opening game of the doubleheader on Wednesday at the UNCP Softball Field.

The Braves (6-11) scored in the first inning of game two to take an early lead, but the Indians would take a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Marijo Wilkes sent one over the fence to send the game into extra innings, but Catawba (8-8) would put up three runs in the top of the 10th inning to hang onto the victory.

In the seventh inning of game one, Catawba’s Bri Gallagher reached via a fielder’s choice and scored on a triple down the right field line from Kary Hales. Madison Taylor scored Hales with a single to the left field gap.

In the bottom half of the inning, UNC Pembroke put runners on first and second after singles from MaKenna Sibbett and Summer Bullard, but Emma Eckhart walked it off with a homer over the right field fence.

MaKenna Sibbett had two hits for UNCP. Summer Bullard (3-6) earned the win.

Kary Hales had a triple with an RBI for Catawba and Madison Taylor had a hit and an RBI.

Catawba won the second game 6-4 in 10 innings.

With the International tiebreak rule in effect, Chloe Hunsinger started the bottom of the ninth at second base, but advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt from Mackenzie Collins. Kynley Brewer knocked a single up the middle to score Hunsinger.

In the 10th, Bri Gallagher started the inning at second base, but moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Madison Taylor. Christina Brendle tripled down the right field to score Gallagher, followed by an RBI double from Courtnee Carter. An ill-timed throwing error allowed another run to score to give Catawba a 6-3 lead.

Bullard had two hits and two RBIs for UNCP and Marijo Wilkes hit a solo home run. Eckhard had a double. Katie Neel (1-1) was the losing pitcher.

Brendle had a double and a triple and one RBI for Catawba and Carter had two hits with a double and an RBI. Alex Baquie (6-5), who took the loss in game one, pitched all 10 innings of game two, allowing seven strikeouts and earning the win.

The Braves will hit the road on Saturday when they travel to take on Wingate. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for noon at the Wingate Softball Complex.