PEMBROKE, N.C.----Mark Salazar scored 16 points to lead The University of North Carolina at Pembroke to a 67-61 victory of Lander in Peach Belt men's basketball action Wednesday night in the Jones Center. With the win, the Braves pull even at 3-3 on the year and earn their first home win since November 23, 2004, when the defeated Coker 74-60. The loss moves Lander to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in conference action.
Down two, 30-28, at halftime, UNCP battled in the second half to eventually pull ahead and win by six. The key play of the game came with only 1:10 left on the clock. Up only one, 62-61, following a three by Lander's Jahi Rawlings, Salazar drained a three of his own to give the Braves a four-point lead.
Following a steal by Jeffrey Brown, Scooter Lawrence iced the win with a fast break lay-up with 11 ticks left on the clock.
Brown contributed nine to Pembroke's cause, while four other Braves netted eight points. Leading UNCP on the glass was Lee Moore, who ripped down six boards. Lawrence paced the offense with seven assists on the night.
Lander's Emanuel Hodrea netted 16 for the Bearcats, while Jarred Jackson poured in ten. Hodrea was also Lander's leading rebounder with seven boards.
UNCP struggled from long range only hitting seven of 28 and only managed to hit two of four free throws. The Braves shot 42.6% from the field for the game, including 17 of 32 in the second half.
Lander meanwhile, faired much better from the charity stripe, hitting eight of 12. The Bearcats struggled, however, from three-point range as well, making only seven of 24. They finished the game shooting 46% on 23 of 50 from the floor.
