PEMBROKE, N.C. – The Jaguar men's basketball team had four players score in double-figure points and recovered from a double-digit deficit, but couldn't overcome the UNC Pembroke Braves to fall 82-76 in Peach Belt Conference action Saturday night in the English E. Jones Center.

The Jags (9-3, 1-2 PBC) trailed first after UNCP's Brandon Watts grabbed the rebound off the opening missed basket and nailed a three pointer with 19:22 on the clock. Devonte Thomas struck back with a trey of his own after he snagged a loose ball rebound. Each team traded points for several tie scores, eventually sitting at 12-all before the Braves (12-1, 3-1 PBC) went on a six-point run.

UNCP had a double-figure advantage thanks to PBC Preseason All-Conference member Quamain Rose's early 16 points. Rose ended the night with a game-high 24 points. Roman Hill and Henry McCarthy hit back-to-back jumpers to get the Jags within four with just over three minutes to play in the game.

Under a minute in the opening half, Devon Wright-Nelson scored four points to get it back to a four-point affair, the closest it had been since the start of the game. Brandon Winford hit two at the charity stripe to give the Braves a 40-34 lead at the break. Thomas led GRU with 10 points in the opening 20 minutes, while Rose had 20 for the Braves. UNCP outshot GRU 66.7 to 63.6 from the floor in the first half.

Wright-Nelson hit two free throws to open the second half of play and a Keshun Sherrill layup got the Jags within two. GRU made it 48-47 on a Thomas three pointer, but the Braves had an answer every time to keep a slight lead with Watts and Keysheen Hinton getting into double-figure points early into the second half.

The Jags outrebounded the Braves 40 -33 and had 12 second-chance points to UNCP's six. It helped GRU cut the gap to three on a Sherrill jumper with 46 seconds to go. Rose took a foul from McCarthy and made both free throws – forcing the Jags to capitalize on their next possession. Thomas missed a layup and GRU had to commit a foul as the Braves held on for an 82-76 conference win in a game that saw four lead changes and four tied scores.

Sherrill led GRU with 18 points, Thomas posted 16, Thomas had 16, Wright-Nelson scored 1, and McCarthy posted 11 in the loss. GRU posted a 43.5 field-goal percentage to the Braves' 48.1.

The Jags play another PBC match at Francis Marion Monday, Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Florence, S.C. LIVE STATS LIVE VIDEO

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