PEMBROKE, NC --The Fayetteville State women's basketball team fought back from a 34-30 deficit after the third quarter to beat the University of Carolina at Pembroke Braves 48-44, helped by an imposing defensive performance on the road Wednesday.
Imani Elliott led the Broncos (1-2 overall) with 25 points and four steals. Rasheka Simmons tacked on three points and four steals off the bench and Morgan Graham also helped out with nine points off the bench.
Fayetteville State grabbed 37 rebounds in Wednesday's game compared to UNC Pembroke's 35, led by 11 boards from London Thompson.
Fayetteville State's defense held UNC Pembroke to only 32.7 percent shooting from the field, including 25 percent from beyond the arc. The Braves did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with nine offensive rebounds and managed seven second chance points while Fayetteville State cleared 30 defensive rebounds.
How It Happened
After falling behind 9-7, Fayetteville State went on an 8-0 run with 3:30 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Elliott, to take a 15-9 lead. The Broncos then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 15-11 advantage. Fayetteville State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 15 points.
The Broncos maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 19-17 edge. Fayetteville State dominated in the paint, scoring two of its four points close to the basket.
Fayetteville State then lost its advantage in the third quarter and trailed the Braves 34-30 entering the fourth. Fayetteville State's bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled four of the team's 11 third-quarter points.
North Carolina-Pembroke kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 35-30 advantage before Fayetteville State went on an 11-0 run, finished off by Simmons' three, to seize a 41-35 lead with 3:50 to go in the contest. The Braves narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Broncos still held on for the 48-44 win. Fayetteville State took advantage of six North Carolina-Pembroke turnovers in the quarter, scoring seven points off of those takeaways.
Game Notes
» The Broncos rallied from a four-point 34-30 third quarter deficit to pick up the win.
» The Broncos shot well from three point range, knocking down four of 10 long range attempts.
» The Broncos held the Braves to only 32.7 percent shooting from the field.
» Imani Elliott, Morgan Graham, and Rasheka Simmons combined to account for 77 percent of the Broncos points.
» The Fayetteville State bench came alive by scoring 17 points to its scoring output.
» Fayetteville State had a 37-35 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Fayetteville State defense forced 19 turnovers.
» Imani Elliott led the Broncos with a game-high 25 points.
» Fayetteville State got a game-high 11 rebounds from London Thompson.
