November 18, 2006

Boxscore

PEMBROKE, N.C.—Sharpshooters Richard Stone and Justin Brauda each cashed in on four three-pointers including a combined six in the second half to lead the St. Andrews Presbyterian College men’s basketball team to a 76-66 non-conference victory over the University of North Carolina at Pembroke on Saturday.

The Knights, under the direction of second year head coach Billy Lee, remains unbeaten at 2-0 after spoiling the season-opener for the Braves (0-1) in the English E. Jones Center.

“We are fortunate to come in here and get a win,” said Lee. “We showed great poise down the stretch and made defensive stops when we needed them.”

After a slow start by both teams, St. Andrews ripped off a 13-2 run midway through the opening period to build their largest lead of the game at 23-11. The rally was capped by a junior Jeff Worley (Charlotte, N.C.) steal and assist on a Brauda fastbreak lay-up. Pembroke finished the half with a 9-2 run of their own to pull within 25-20 at the intermission.

The Knights built its lead back up to nine at 32-23 on a Stone trey with 17:25 left but turnovers kept the Braves in the contest. SAPC committed a game-high 29 turnovers including six over the next six-plus minutes. UNCP took advantage by scoring seven points on those blunders and regained the lead at 42-41 with a 19-9 run.

The Braves clung to a 61-58 lead with four minutes left but that was when Stone started to heat up. Stone drilled consecutive shots from behind the arc to tie the game at 64-64 and Brauda’s ensuing bomb from downtown catapulted the Knights into the lead for good with two minutes left on the clock. Stone added his fourth 3-pointer in the final 90 seconds and St. Andrews converted on 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute to pull away for the 10-point victory.

“Pembroke is a well coached team that played a very intense and energetic zone defense that gave us difficulties until we got into some offensive rhythm in the final 10 minutes,” stated Lee.

Stone, a junior from Williamsburg, Va., notched his first double-double at St. Andrews with game-highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Stone’s totals are also career highs as a Knight. Brauda (Monroe, N.C.) finished his second collegiate game of his freshman season with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

“Richard (Stone) and Justin (Brauda) are prolific three-point shooters when we can get them open. Credit has to go out to the rest of the team, as we played 13 players today, to get them open,” expressed Lee.

Junior Taiwon Grooms (Landover, Md.) totaled 15 points and six rebounds; Freshman Marcus Hoke (Charlotte, N.C.) added seven points and five boards; and sophomore DeRalle Piersall (Dumfries, Va.) dished out a game-high six assists.

St. Andrews will open Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference play on Tuesday, when they host No. 9 nationally ranked Barton College at 7:30 p.m.