PEMBROKE, N.C.--UNC Pembroke (15-11, 10-9 PBC) bolted to a 25-4 lead midway through the opening half en route to posting a 77-62 win over USC Aiken (10-16, 6-13 PBC) in women's Peach Belt Conference basketball action on Wednesday night. It was only fitting that on "Senior Night" for the Lady Braves, they did something that hasn't been accomplished since 2000, knock off USC Aiken. UNC Pembroke snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Lady Pacers and picked up just their ninth win in 32 meetings. The region's eighth-ranked team also halted its own four-game PBC losing streak (MINDY ALLEE PICTURED). 

Junior point guard Mindy Allee poured in a career-high 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting including 4-of-10 from the three-point line to lead USC Aiken. Freshman Kendra Chandler added her first career double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 16 minutes of action. 

The Lady Braves opened on fire connecting on their first seven shots from the field and building a 25-4 lead with 11:20 to play in the first half on 9-of-11 shooting (81.2 percent). Tracey Lightfoot's trey pushed the margin to the largest of the game at 21. Lightfoot was 4-of-5 from deep for a team-best 17 points. Lindsey Bartholf added 12 points on 4-of-8 from downtown while Lauren Lingenfelter drilled all five of her attempts from the floor and was 4-of-4 at the stripe for 16 points. 

USC Aiken settled down to go on a 10-0 run and get back in the game on Satu Leppanen's fast-break bucket with 6:59 to play, slicing the margin to 25-14. Allee scored the first eight points in the run to spark the Lady Pacers. Leppanen finished with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting. 

Megan Starnes connected on a pair of free throws with 27 ticks left to set the halftime score and draw USC Aiken within six at 34-28. Starnes struggled from the field missing all 10 of her shots as did fellow freshman Meredith Legg who was held scoreless for the first time this year. 

Leppanen's jumper 1:04 into the second stanza trimmed the deficit to 34-30. But just as quickly as USCA crawled back in it, the Lady Braves pushed the advantage back into double figures. One of Victoria Willis' three treys on the night made it 42-30 with 13:38 left, capping an 8-0 run. 

Allee drained a three-pointer with 8:09 to play, pulling USC Aiken within six at 48-42, but a decisive 13-0 run ignited by a Lightfoot three-pointer and capped by a Lingenfelter trey with 5:13 remaining blew the game back open 61-42. 

UNC Pembroke became just the third opponent this year to shoot over 50.0 percent against the Lady Pacers, connecting on 24-of-47 for 51.1 percent. UNCP was also a scorching 13-of-23 from the three-point line for 56.5 percent. And a team that was averaging just 42.0 ppg in their last four conference contests erupted for a season-high tying 77 versus a PBC foe. 

The Lady Pacers struggled from the field shooting 33.3 percent on 23-of-69 including 6-of-24 from deep for 25.0 percent. USC Aiken did own the boards with a 43-30 rebounding edge including 20-4 on the offensive glass. 

USC Aiken returns home to host Lander for "Homecoming 2006" on Saturday, February 25 at 5:30 PM. It will also mark the final regular season game for the Lady Pacers.

Newspaper Box Score

USC Aiken vs UNC Pembroke

02/22/06 5:30 PM at Pembroke, N.C. (Jones Athletic Center)

UNC PEMBROKE 77, USC AIKEN 62

USC AIKEN (10-16, 6-13 PBC)

Allee, Mindy 8-18 1-1 21; Williams, Avonte 4-11 2-2 11; Leppanen, Satu 4-7 3-3 11; Chandler, Kendra 4-7 2-3 10; Bennett, Nichole 2-5 0-0 5; Thomas, Jordon 1-5 0-1 2; Starnes, Megan 0-10 2-2 2; Legg, Meredith 0-3 0-0 0; Jones, Keirstin 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 23-69 10-12 62.

UNC PEMBROKE (15-11, 10-9 PBC)

Lightfoot, Tracey 5-9 3-4 17; Lingenfelter, Lauren 5-5 4-4 16; Bartholf, Lindsay 4-9 0-0 12; Stotler, Tasha 3-11 5-8 11; Willis, Victoria 3-3 0-0 9; Vaughan, Kristin 2-4 2-2 6; Wright, Tiffany 1-1 0-0 2; Midgette, Sharkeysha 1-1 0-0 2; Locklear, Porcha 0-2 2-2 2; Savage, Melina 0-1 0-0 0; Davis, Deneer 0-0 0-0 0; Wegmann, Mallory 0-0 0-0 0; Ray, Natalie 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 24-47 16-22 77.

USC Aiken..................... 28 34 - 62

UNC Pembroke............. 34 43 - 77

3-point goals-USC Aiken 6-24 (Allee, Mindy 4-10; Bennett, Nichole 1-3; Williams, Avonte 1-6; Starnes, Megan 0-3; Legg, Meredith 0-1; Jones, Keirstin 0-1), UNC Pembroke 13-23 (Bartholf, Lindsay 4-8; Lightfoot, Tracey 4-5; Willis, Victoria 3-3; Lingenfelter, Lauren 2-2; Locklear, Porcha 0-2; Stotler, Tasha 0-3). Fouled out--USC Aiken-Williams, Avonte, UNC Pembroke-None. Rebounds-USC Aiken 43 (Chandler, Kendra 10), UNC Pembroke 30 (Stotler, Tasha 8). Assists-USC Aiken 9 (Williams, Avonte 3), UNC Pembroke 19 (Lightfoot, Tracey 7). Total fouls-USC Aiken 16, UNC Pembroke 17. A-775.