Last month I wrote the first part of a column about workplace ethics and how individuals fall short because they give in to temptation of the human heart (such as greed) or are pressured by the boss or employer. I discussed how individually, we each need to keep our ethical muscles toned, so they don’t fail us when we need them for decisions. Let’s talk now about what to do when temptation comes from the workplace.

The key to handling these company pressures is to anticipate them in advance. I daresay all employees have faced one or more times when the boss, co-workers, or quotas strong-armed them into doing something wrong. So, don’t be caught off guard. Expect these attempted coercions to come. Next, before responding, think about what needs to be said. Let’s assume your unit is asked to meet an unrealistic quota. This demand affects all of your co-workers, so it is prudent to form a coalition. A manager has a much more difficult time dismissing the concerns of five people than one.

Once you have thought about what to say, practice with others, including at least one person who is not involved with the situation. They will likely be able to tell you where you can be more diplomatic in your language. After all, you want to be successful and effective in influencing your manager, not make her defensive or antagonistic. You can also appeal to company policies about how truthfulness is a corporate value and how fudging to meet an arbitrary quota is not actually meeting a quota.

If these efforts fail, most larger companies have a whistleblower hotline where you can anonymously explain an improper practice that your management won’t fix.

There is another element to anticipating ethical temptations and challenges. The dilemma is captured in the statement credited to Leo Durocher, a major league baseball manager. He once said, “Nice guys finish last.” Fortunately, the research evidence shows this is mostly wrong. There is a wrinkle though. “Nice” guys (or women), those who choose to act with ethics and integrity, don’t always win in the short term. The student who cheats in a course may get an A. The employee who sabotages another employee may get the promotion. The person who cheats on her taxes may get away with it.

Still, it more often happens that these ethical breaches catch up with the cheaters eventually. We are living in a time when human action is more transparent than ever. Corporate and governmental policies encourage transparency and everyone with a smartphone can videorecord and tweet about any incident. So, I tell my college students to be prepared twice in your career to lose out on something to someone who acted unethically. Although they may lose on a short-term decision, they will likely win out in the long run. Even if they don’t though, the virtuous life is the one in which acting with integrity is its own value. If, day in and day out, you do the right thing, you will have lived a life of integrity.

Last column I asked you who your heroes are. If you live that virtuous life, you will be a hero for someone else. A heroic life is well worth living.

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PEMBROKE — The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is officially designated a Voter-Friendly Campus.

The initiative, led by national nonpartisan organizations, Campus Vote Project and the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, held participating institutions accountable for planning and implementing practices that encourage their students to register and vote in the 2018 elections and in the coming years.

The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts to help students overcome barriers of participating in the political process. UNC Pembroke was evaluated based on a campus plan outlining how the university would engage student voters in 2018, how the university facilitated democratic engagement efforts on campus and a final analysis of efforts. The designation is valid through December 2020.

As part of the effort to be designated a voter-friendly campus, UNCP Votes, a student-managed non-partisan election engagement coalition, hosted by the Office for Community and Civic Engagement, implemented various voter registration, education and mobilization initiatives.

The coalition serves as an umbrella for all democratic engagement on campus and partners with various university departments, student organizations, the Student Government Association and other non-partisan groups.

In the 2018-19 academic year, UNCP Votes hosted events such as Popcorn & Politics that invited candidates running for office to campus. Additional events included early voting and Election Day shuttles for students and voter registration drives. Campus Votes fellows and UNC Pembroke students, Harrison Pegram and Thomas Crowe-Allbritton led the coalition.

“Often times students share how they feel they are not informed enough to vote or that their vote does not count. UNCP Votes utilizes engaged students to motivate and mobilize their peers to make change through democratic engagement. This designation exemplifies the importance of our student’s work and the impact UNCP has on our community, state and nation,” said Dalton Hoffer, assistant director for student engagement at UNC Pembroke.

The institutions receiving Voter-Friendly Campus designations represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural, and urban campuses, with a total enrollment of nearly 1.4 million students.

“We are now one of 123 campuses, from 31 states that received the designation and are proud to make voting more accessible to our campus community,” Hoffer said.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is officially designated a Voter-Friendly Campus.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Voter-Friendly-Campus.jpgThe University of North Carolina at Pembroke is officially designated a Voter-Friendly Campus.

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LUMBERTON — Robeson Community College will hold its annual Career Fair on March 12 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Fred G. Williams Jr. Student Center.

This event is open to the public.

For more information, contact Ronnie Sampson at 910-272-3345 or by email at rsampson@robeson.edu.

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Death and taxes aren’t the only two certainties North Carolinians face. New congressional and legislative districts are coming, too — for 2020 (by court order) and 2022 (after the end-of-decade census).

Chances also are strong the Tar Heel State will get a 14th congressional district, so reapportionment should be on the agenda for the 2022 election cycle.

If lawmakers don’t want to spend most of the next three years in court fighting over new districts — spending taxpayer money which could go to better use — then they can limit the pain, the cost, and the public frustration by taking a few straightforward steps: Stop micromanaging the districts. And require the people who draw the maps to follow rules set in the constitution and by state courts.

A couple of proposals introduced in February would get us closer to that goal.

Reps. Chuck McGrady, R-Henderson, and Robert Reives, D-Chatham, have co-sponsored House Bill 69 and House Bill 140, which offer two different and positive alternatives to the problem of extreme partisanship in mapmaking. They do it by giving individual lawmakers a minimal role in designing the maps.

The N.C. Constitution says the General Assembly has the sole authority to revise state House and U.S. congressional districts. Yet it doesn’t say the legislature has to draw the maps.

For more than two decades, the John Locke Foundation (publisher of Carolina Journal) has backed the establishment of an independent process to set district lines. So have a host of “good government” groups, many of them left-leaning. The idea is to curb the power of elected officials to entrench themselves in districts they draw.

H.B. 69 would use an appointed commission to handle the details. Similar commissions in about a dozen other states haven’t always lived up to reformers’ expectations. For one thing, the commissions often have a partisan slant, as officially “nonpartisan” seats get filled with those who either sympathize with a party or actively conceal partisan leanings.

H.B. 140 takes a different tack. It would have legislative staff draw the maps, based on the state constitution, federal laws — including the Voting Rights Act — and a set of concise rules designed to prevent the party in power at the time of redistricting from getting an unfair advantage.

Under both bills, the legislature would vote up or down on the final plan, giving lawmakers no opportunity to tweak it.

Maps still would have to comply with the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. They’d have to satisfy the state constitution — each district with roughly equal numbers of residents, contiguous, and leaving counties whole whenever possible.

But those requirements don’t go far enough. The proposals also would uphold principles set out in the 2002 Stephenson v. Bartlett decisions by the N.C. Supreme Court.

One important principle rarely applied in North Carolina maps but included in both bills: Districts should be compact.

When congressional maps were redrawn for the 2014 election, residents of New Hanover County were outraged the 7th Congressional District no longer was limited to counties in that corner of the state but instead stretched northwest to the Research Triangle Park exurbs.

The 9th Congressional District, which will elect a representative sometime this year (maybe), reaches from the southeastern suburbs of Charlotte east into Fayetteville and Robeson County. It comprises many communities with often wildly divergent interests.

Common-sense districts would look more like circles than boots — or snakes. Abiding by the Stephenson principles gets us closer to that goal.

H.B. 140 also includes a proposed constitutional amendment. If put on the 2020 ballot and approved by voters, having those rules in place would reduce the potential for judicial overreach when map disputes go to court. A rules-based process would give state judges clear guidelines for setting legal district boundaries. A constitutional amendment also would make it tougher for a future General Assembly to undermine future redistricting plans with a simple majority vote by lawmakers.

A redistricting amendment would offer an insurance policy protecting those out of power and keeping those with power in their place.

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LUMBERTON — Lawmen are looking for a 37-year-old Lumberton man who has been charged with kidnapping and assaulting a woman this past week, causing her severe injuries.

David Oxendine, Jr., of 1736 Snake Road, is charged with kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious bodily injury, assault by pointing a gun, assault on a female, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and communicating threats, said Erich Hackney, an investigator with the District Attorney’s Office. Warrants were issued Friday.

The identity of the woman Oxendine is accused of assaulting is not being released.

According to Hackney, there was a domestic incident las week during which the victim was forced into a vehicle and carried to an undisclosed location and severely beaten with a handgun. She suffered injuries to her head, face, eyes and body, including a fractured nose and broken teeth. She received numerous staples and stitches while being treated at Southeastern Regional Medical Center.

The vehicle Oxendine was operating was recovered early Saturday morning, according to Hackney. It had a bullethole from where Oxendine fired a handgun while he and the victim were inside the car, Hackney said.

Oxendine’s criminal history includes assault inflicting serious bodily injury, in which he fractured another female’s jaw, robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, resisting arrest and communicating threats.

District Attorney’s Office victim witness coordinators, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Lumberton Police Department are assisting in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Hackney or law enforcement immediately and should know Oxendine is considered armed and dangerous. The Lumberton Police Department number is 910-671-3845 and the Sheriff’s Office’s is 910-671-3100.

Oxendine has been entered into the National Crime Information Center data base as a wanted person.

Oxendine

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_david-oxendine-2.jpgOxendine

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MAXTON — A Maxton man faces drug charges following the discovery of marijuana and cocaine in his vehicle during a traffic stop on Friday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Randall Jacobs, 31, of North Patterson Street, is charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, maintaining a vehicle for controlled substance, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, possession of drug paraphernalia and resist, delay and obstruct an officer discharging duties.

He was charged after investigators with the Drug Enforcement Division and Community Impact Team stopped a 2013 Dodge Challenger being driven by Jacobs. Jacobs was placed in the Robeson County Detention Center under a $75,000 secured bond.

Anyone with information regarding drug activity in Robeson County is asked to call the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Division at 910-671-3191.

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LUMBERTON — The 20th edition of Rumba on the Lumber festival could not have been scripted better Saturday with cool morning temperatures for runners and sunshine for Bud Light North of the Border Chili Cook-off.

The Southeastern Health Family Fun Run/Walk took off, with strollers, dogs and several entrants who were no more than 5 years old.

In the competitive 5K and 10K races, numerous age groups guaranteed many winners. City Councilman Leroy Rising has been running this race all 20 years.

“It’s great to see so many people in the downtown,” said a breathless Rising. “It really looks great down here, thanks to the hard work of city employees.”

A week ago, things did not look so good. Concrete was half poured in the Downtown Plaza, and the Linear Park, created from the alley between the Plaza and Fourth Street, was in shambles. A little good weather this past week was the ticket.

City Councilman Owen Thomas, president of Rumba sponsors the Robeson Road Runners, also ran.

“The weather was perfect for running,” Thomas said. “I’m so proud of the city and all the volunteers who made this event happen.”

Members of the Carolina Shaggers Club were positioned at nine points along the race course, playing music and encouraging runners. The Junior Service League assisted the Lumberton Police Department with traffic control.

Molly Kuzma, a student at O’Neal School in Southern Pines, won the women’s 5K open competition.

“I first ran in this race when I was 10,” Kuzma said. “I like this race, and the funnel cakes.”

Kathy Hansen, who works for Southeastern Health and writes a column on health for The Robesonian, decided to run at the last minute and was glad she did.

“I had a great time, and finished second in my age group,” Hansen said. “I’ve run this 10, maybe 15 times. My daughter is meeting me later for the chili.”

State Sen. Danny Britt Jr. has missed running in only two Rumbas. He ran in the 5K and later with his son, Carter, participated in the Family Run-Walk.

“One year I had knee surgery and another year I was deployed to Iraq,” Britt said. “The timing of this event is perfect with the weather turning warmer, and it’s good to see people out socializing.”

Rebekah Lowry, director of Robeson Community College Foundation, ran the registration booth for the Road Runners and came in second in her age group in the 5K.

“We had almost 300 sign up,” Lowry said. “We ran the event with all volunteers, including students from Lumberton High School’s Beta Club and Key Club, and Southeastern Academy.

“This is a landmark event for Lumberton that brings people together to have a good time. That’s what is great about our county,” she said.

Always a huge draw, the Chili Cook-off drew throngs of people wanting to sample 18 types of chili from heavenly to hotter than, well, the other place.

Arnold West, one of a battery of judges, became speechless after one sample. When he did speak, he managed to say, “It’s hot.”

West, who owns Village Station Restaurant, and three other judges were scoring the best overall chili and spiciest chili. If hot qualifies as spicy, he may have found the winner.

Every chili recipe had an ingredient or two that made it special. Grady Pardue and the veteran Jamaican Jerks crew brought their award-winning recipe again this year.

“The bananas are the special ingredient,” said Pardue, who dressed the part with flowing dreadlocks. “It starts out sweet and then the Jamaican jerk kicks in.”

For heat, the Pirate Scorching Hot Chili featured the flaming hot Carolina Reaper pepper.

The LHS Football Mothers Squad went for a different flavor with sweet potatoes, Boston butt and sausage, Ann Sluss said.

Brandon Patterson, representing the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office team, said “coffee and doughnuts” was the secret to their chili.

“Holy water,” said Nicole Locklear, with Southeastern Health’s food service. “It guarantees good health, as long as you believe.”

“Chocolate and the rind of parmesan cheese,” said Vickie LaVoie, of the Coastal Cuties.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret,” said a representative of the Colon Cleansers.

The hands-down winner for outrageous costume went to the men or “I Dream of Chili,” who dressed as Jennie in the old sitcom “I Dream of Jeanie.”

“Eat our chili and you get three wishes,” a team member said. “My first wish is that our chili was better, my second wish is that we did not dress like this, and my third wish is for the sun to come out.”

Moments later, the sun came out as the Legacy Motown Review entertained the crowd.

Rumba on the Lumber event coordinator Jef Lambdin was visibly relaxed by 1 p.m. with four hours to go.

“It’s going great and running on cruise control from here,” Lambdin said. “Even the sun came out!”

Lambdin, who organized his 5th Rumba, praised the many volunteers, especially the youngest among them.

“It’s really heartening to have so many great volunteers, and it’s especially good to see young people stepping up to participate,” he said. “Volunteers are the key to this event, and we have them.”

The annual Rumba on the Lumber festival was the first major event held on the newly-renovated Lumberton Downtown Plaza. Food and informational vendors, a bungee jump and other family attractions broke in the space.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_20190302_115129_ne20193221439937.jpgThe annual Rumba on the Lumber festival was the first major event held on the newly-renovated Lumberton Downtown Plaza. Food and informational vendors, a bungee jump and other family attractions broke in the space. Tomeka Sinclair | The Robesonian

The Jamaican Jerks drew a large crowd Saturday with their spicy chili during the Bud Light North of the Border Chili Cook-off held at the Rumba on the Lumber in downtown Lumberton. Sports teams, local businesses and organization and even some cross-dressing genies participated in this year’s contest.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_DSCN6350_ne201932214322492.jpgThe Jamaican Jerks drew a large crowd Saturday with their spicy chili during the Bud Light North of the Border Chili Cook-off held at the Rumba on the Lumber in downtown Lumberton. Sports teams, local businesses and organization and even some cross-dressing genies participated in this year’s contest. Tomeka Sinclair | The Robesonian

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LUMBERTON — Members of the Ellis family were not thinking about their times Saturday when they crossed the finish line of the Southeastern Health Family Fun Run/Walk.

“It’s really to get the kids out and enjoy the community,” Brandy Ellis said after she crossed the line with her husband, Matthew, and their 5-year-old daughter, Katherine, at the 13-minute mark.

The family waited for their 10-year-old son, Zachary, who ran with some friends. Brandy said they have been participating in the fun run as a family since he was a toddler.

“At least seven or eight years,” she said. “It’s a good way to get some exercise in as a family.”

The run takes place each year during the Robeson Road Runner’s annual Rumba on the Lumber in downtown Lumberton. The mile-long run/walk, which is intentionally less competitive than the 5K and 10K runs that take place earlier in the day, included a diverse group of about 200 people. Parents with strollers carrying newborns, toddlers, gym teachers, students, Public Schools of Robeson County staff, Southeastern Health administrators and even a couple of pets joined in on the run that began at North Chestnut Street and circled back to North Elm Street.

Before the run, Kim McVicker warmed up the crowd with some Zumba and the Carolina Girls led a line dance.

The event is organized each year by The Southeastern Community Heath Education Center, a part of Southeastern Health, that is geared toward educating the community about healthier lifestyles.

“I think that because it’s a mile, it’s definitely something everybody can do and there’s no pressure on whether to walk or run, so it accessible to everybody,” said Cameron Karrenbauer, Community Health nutritionist and race coordinator.

Karrenbauer said, overall, she was happy with the turnout of the event.

“I think it was good. We were a little worried at first because of the weather,” she said. “Thankfully, the sun came out.”

It was the second year that Kristin and Lewis Cox took part in the race, and the reason was their 2-year-old twins, Thomas and Owen. Kristin ran with Thomas and Lewis with Owen.

“We walked most of the way but he wanted to run at the end,” Lewis said of Owen, who arrived a little later than Kristen and Thomas.

Kristen said she has been doing the 5K run for while and is glad she can take part in the Family Fun Run now.

“It was exciting” she said.

Elijah Bass, a 6-year-old Rowland Norment Elementary School student, raised his arms in the air in triumph when he crossed the finish line with his stepfather, Johnny Elliott. Elliott said he took Bass on the run to work off some energy while his mother was at work.

“It’s a really good exercise,” Bass said. “You sweat.”

Although Bass worked up a good sweat and struggled to catch his breath, he said he still had room for the rest of the festival’s activities.

“I think I can slide,” Bass said. “I hope I won’t throw up on the other rides.”

About 200 people took part Saturday in the Southeastern Health Family Fun Run/Walk held during the three-day Rumba on the Lumber festival.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_20190302_110349_ne201932213326264.jpgAbout 200 people took part Saturday in the Southeastern Health Family Fun Run/Walk held during the three-day Rumba on the Lumber festival.

Brandy and Matthew Ellis cross the finish line Saturday at the Southeastern Health Family Fun Run/Walk held during the three-day Rumba on the Lumber festival.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_20190302_111646_ne201932213328368.jpgBrandy and Matthew Ellis cross the finish line Saturday at the Southeastern Health Family Fun Run/Walk held during the three-day Rumba on the Lumber festival.

Karrenbauer

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cameron-karrenbauer_ne201932213835492.jpgKarrenbauer

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LUMBERTON — For the second time in four years, Musa Gwanzura found himself all alone as he beat out the rest of the field at the Rumba on the Lumber 5K and 10K races on Saturday morning.

The 47-year-old Roanoke Rapids native won the race in 2016, and finished first with a time of 17:34 to beat out the 135-runner field in the 5K race. In total, 170 runners toed the line for both races on Saturday morning under overcast skies.

Thomas McDonough, of Boone, came in second in the 5K race, a little more than 30 seconds after Gwanzura with a time of 18:05. John Piggott took third in a time of 18:44.

On the female side, 15-year-old Molly Kuzma from Jackson Springs finished first at 19:32. Lumberton’s Katie Floyd was second with a time of 23:10. In third, Sharon Pescetta, 62, of Enfield, N.H. posted a time of 25:24.

Lumberton resident Kathy Hanson won the female masters division of the 5K race at 28:14.

Craig Eaton of Lumberton won the 10K race in a time of 41:03. He beat out Heath Fore of Latta, S.C., who finished in a time of 42:36. Fayetteville’s Kirill Zemlyanskig took third at 43:34.

In the female 10K results, 18-year-old Hannah Canady completed the course in 50:43 for first place. Canady beat Michelle Gereghty out in a time of 53:24. Tammy Gillis was third at 55:32.

Mary Chavis of Lumberton won the female masters division with a time of 56:10.

Jonathan Bym | The Robesonian Musa Gwanzura won the Rumba on the Lumber 5K race on Saturday morning. He was the first to cross the finish line of the 170 runners in both the 5 and 10K races.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_DSC_0595-1.jpgJonathan Bym | The Robesonian Musa Gwanzura won the Rumba on the Lumber 5K race on Saturday morning. He was the first to cross the finish line of the 170 runners in both the 5 and 10K races.

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PEMBROKE — The University of North Carolina at Pembroke baseball team pounded out 12 hits and scored nine times behind a solid outing from newcomer Tanner Routh and the Braves handed skipper Paul O’Neil his 600th victory in Pembroke with a 9-3 win over Young Harris on Sunday morning at Sammy Cox Field.

The result snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Braves (8-9, 2-7 PBC) inside league play this season, and also helped UNCP ward off a weekend sweep at the hands of the Mountain Lions (11-7, 4-3). O’Neil moved to 600-374-1 (.616) in 18-plus seasons at UNCP. He has 684 victories in 22-plus seasons as a collegiate head coach.

Bailey Campbell broke a scoreless deadlock with a wind-aided solo homer to lead off the frame, but Routh rebounded nicely by using nine pitches to sit down the next three Mountain Lions in order in the top of the second.

The Braves loaded the bases with their first four at-bats in the home half of the inning, and knotted the score back up on a badly-timed wild pitch by YHC starter Drew Wilson. A passed ball moments later gave UNCP the lead for good, and Luke Jackson made it a 3-1 lead on a two-out RBI single to centerfield.

Jackson got the scoring party started in the fourth with a RBI double to the gap in left field, and Trevor Clemons followed with a RBI single through the left side. Ethan Baucom completed the big inning just one at-bat later when he hammered a 1-and-1 offering from Drew Wilson deep over the trees in left field.

Zavier Lushington (single) and Bailey Campbell (double) both reached via two-out base hits, and Dahlton Cash helped the Mountain Lions cut into their deficit with a two-run double to the gap in right field in the sixth.

UNCP loaded the bases with its first four at-bats of the seventh frame, and Jackson drew a full-count walk to bring across an insurance run for the hosts. Clemons capped the scoring on the day with the next at-bat via a sacrifice fly to deep right field.

Jackson, Clemons and Baucom each posted two hits, while Jackson finished with three RBIs. Elijah Helton had a trio of hits

The Braves will step back out of Peach Belt Conference play on Wednesday when they make the short trip to Kannapolis to battle Queens (4-11) at Intimidators Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Braves reach the 20-win plateau

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The UNC Pembroke men’s basketball team held Flagler to its worst shooting performance in six years and took the lead for good on a pair of free throws from Akia Pruitt just 11 seconds into the first half on the way to a 90-51 victory over the Saints on Saturday at Flagler Gymnasium.

The victory snapped a three-game road losing streak for the Braves (20-8, 15-7 PBC) who reached the 20-win plateau for an unprecedented third-straight year. The setback capped the 2018-19 season for the Saints (8-20, 5-17) who have now dropped 10-straight games in the series with the Black & Gold.

The Braves shot nearly 49 percent from the field in the opening half, including 13-for-20 (.650) shooting in the final 10 minutes of the opening stanza that fueled a 44-20 advantage at the intermission. Akia Pruitt connected a pair of free throw attempts just 11 seconds into the first period to give the Braves the lead for good, but UNCP had pushed its advantage out to double digits just more than four minutes later. The hosts trailed by just four points, 22-18, after Logan Swackhammer’s 3-pointer at the 7:14 mark, but the Braves closed out the half with a 22-2 run to distance themselves from the Saints for good.

The Braves scored five-straight points to push their lead out to 31 points, 70-39, after Cam Hamilton’s 3-pointer with 9 1/2 minutes still left to play, and led by as many as 41 points, 90-49, following a pair of free throws by Jamal Bryant with 41 seconds left. The Saints shot just 35.7 percent from the field in the second half, but went just 1-for-9 from the field over the game’s final 6 1/2 minutes.

Senior James Murray-Boyles scored 13 of his game-high 16 points in the second half, and complemented his offensive numbers with five rebounds and a trio of steals. Pruitt finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds to notch his seventh double-double of the season (19th career).

Sophomore David Strother added 11 points, three rebounds and a trio of assists, while junior Carson Mounce came off the bench to tally 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Sophomore Micah Kinsey turned in a game-best six assists, while also adding four rebounds and three steals.

UNCP has now produced five 20-win seasons under the direction of head coach Ben Miller. The program has now reached the 20-win plateau 13 times over its 79-year history.

The fourth-seeded Braves will host the opening round of the 2018-19 Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court against Georgia College at 7:30 p.m.

UNCP women end season in loss to Flagler

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Flagler dominated the boards and scored 20 second chance points to key a 65-39 victory over the UNC Pembroke women’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon inside the Flagler Gymnasium.

The setback marked the sixth-straight loss for the Braves (8-20, 7-15 PBC) who capped their 2018-19 campaign with the result as well. The triumph marked the fifth-straight win for the Saints (21-7, 17-5) who will continue play next week as the No. 3 seed in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

UNC Pembroke took a 10-9 lead off of a bucket from Aliyah Farmer with 5:30 remaining in the opening period. Flagler snapped a scoring drought for both teams just more than three minutes later when a jumper from Kierra Crane gave the hosts the lead for good.

Melanie Horne’s 3-pointer from the corner cut UNCP’s deficit back to 17-13 with just less than eight minutes left to play before halftime. The hosts would answer with a 13-2 run, however, and eventually pushed their advantage out to 14 points, 32-18, heading into the locker rooms.

The Saints pushed their lead out to 20 points, 40-20, after a trey from Crane at the 7:08 mark. A fastbreak layup by Tee Graham cut the Saints lead down to 15 points, 43-28 with 2 1/2 minutes left, but Flagler inevitably carried a hefty 48-30 lead heading into the final stanza.

UNC Pembroke shot just 4-for-16 in the final quarter and scored their final points of the day on a jump shot by Naomi Gilbert with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Flagler scored the final eight points of the contest to provide the final.

Graham scored a team-high nine points and also added two rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Farmer turned in eight points and grabbed three boards.

UNCP Athletics UNCP’s Elijah Helton takes a cut at a pitch in a game earlier this season. He posted three hits to help coach Paul O’Neil win his 600th win on Sunday.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_AF4P2892.jpgUNCP Athletics UNCP’s Elijah Helton takes a cut at a pitch in a game earlier this season. He posted three hits to help coach Paul O’Neil win his 600th win on Sunday.

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RALEIGH — If you own it, you control it. That’s what it means to enjoy a property right, in a nutshell. It is a right safeguarded by North Carolina’s constitution as well as the 14th amendment to the federal constitution, among other provisions.

And it is a right denied every day by localities across North Carolina.

As you may know, there are political fights across our state right now about housing. Some communities, worried about worsening affordability and responding to the preferences of young consumers, are considering plans to open up their housing markets by allowing higher-density development, “granny flats,” and other ways to add capacity at a reasonable cost.

At every step, these reformers find their way blocked by residents who seek to preserve or even tighten existing rules against such practices. All too often, these battles get headlined as “developers vs. neighborhoods.”

To frame the issue this way, however, is to ignore a large group of people: would-be homeowners and renters. They want reasonably priced options for housing. Developers want to sell them. Lot-size requirements and other government restrictions stand in the way of both willing buyers and willing sellers.

Naturally, the “neighborhood” advocates have an argument. Who doesn’t? They contend that more residences per square mile mean more vehicular traffic, more people, more bustle, more noise. Having already bought or rented their current residences, they argue that their quality of life will be harmed.

These debates usually devolve into competing factual claims, the wording of zoning ordinances, and speculations about the feasibility of transit or walkability as an alternative to automotive transportation. Not enough attention is paid, I think, to the fundamental question: What do you think you own?

If I own a piece of property, I have a right to enjoy and dispose of that property as I see fit. I may also have some specified rights to the use or sharing of other resources held in common among the neighbors, depending on the particular deal struck and certain practical realities of the local geography.

But I don’t own the property of my neighbors. I don’t own a deed to a specific traffic count on the street, or a minimum distance from a place of business, or an expected “property value,” or to choose what kinds of people I may encounter. To be sure, generations of residents, politicians, and “experts” have claimed otherwise. That doesn’t make their position reasonable.

In places where governments impose more and heavier regulations on the production and sale of housing, it costs more. The empirical evidence for this relationship is overwhelming. Yes, places with plentiful high-paying jobs and other amenities are popular places to live, which bids up housing prices. But those prices, in turn, make it attractive for developers to supply more housing. That tends to keep the median cost roughly in line with the median income of prospective buyers — unless government gets in the way.

North Carolinians have the right to purchase, use, enjoy, and dispose of their property as they see fit. This sphere of private ownership and control very much includes housing. In a free society, the proper response to questions about high-density housing and granny flats and the like is going to be that those who own the property to be developed or used — not those who happen to live nearby — get to answer those questions.

What reasonable exceptions there may be, such as direct impairment of neighboring property or immediate health and safety concerns, reinforce this principle rather than undercutting it. If you blast your music so loud that it makes it impossible for me to function normally, or host a party that leads to your drunken friends parking or puking on my lawn, I am entitled to take action.

But if you rent your basement apartment to a group of earnest if hapless students from the local college, I am entitled to do nothing more than chuckle to myself. And as a good neighbor, I’d feel obligated to wave.

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LUMBERTON — The state Department of Transportation recently approved three contracts for sections of more than 40 roads in Robeson County to be repaved and restriped.

They include N.C. 41 between Turkey Branch Road and N.C. 130 in Fairmont; N.C. 130 between Old Stage and Wire Grass roads; N.C. 72 between N.C. 711 and Interstate 95; N.C. 711 (East Third Street) in Pembroke between Odom and Cherry streets; and U.S. 301 between N.C. 20 in St. Pauls and N.C. 71.

Additionally, 37 secondary routes scattered across the county will be repaved. In all, about 44 miles of roadway will be improved by the three contracts, which were awarded to the lowest bidder, Barnhill Contracting Co. of Rocky Mount, for a total of about $11.6 million.

The work can begin this spring and will be completed by the summer of 2020.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

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LUMBERTON — Robeson County Republicans were the first out of North Carolina’s convention gate.

The county’s Republican Party held its convention on Friday at the Lumberton Lions Club building on Carthage Road, and elected leaders, certified delegates to district and state conventions, and heard keynote speaker the Rev. C.L. Bryant, a nationally known motivational speaker and civil rights leader.

“County conventions across the state must occur during the month of March. We scheduled March 1 to accommodate Rev. Bryant’s schedule as he flew into the state for our convention. Then he had a speaking engagement in South Carolina the next day,” said Phillip Stephens, county party chairman.

Party members re-elected its leadership team: Stephens, chairman; Linda Metzger, first vice chair; Jarrod Lowery, second vice chair; Brenda Pope, secretary; and Bo Biggs, treasurer.

Two candidates for the N.C. District 9 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives also addressed the convention. One was former state Sen. Tommy Tucker, who has received endorsements from state Sen. Danny Britt and Rep. Brendan Jones, who served with him in the Legislature. Tucker is a businessman who owns Parks Heating & Cooling. The other was former Union County Commissioner Stony Rushing, who has received the endorsement of former District 9 candidate Mark Harris. Rushing is the owner of Take Aim Training Range and is a certified firearms instructor who teaches concealed carry, hunter education, and firearms safety. Rushing also is a federal firearms licensed dealer.

About 75 people attended the convention that started at 5 p.m. with a business session that ended at 6 p.m. Bryant’s keynote speech was from 6 to 8 p.m. He autographed books after his speech.

“About 40 attended the business session, which was for registered Republicans,” Stephens said. “But we gained more for the keynote as we opened it up to the public to hear his address and gained another 25 or so. It was also streamed live on Facebook.”

The Rev. C.L. Bryant gives the keynote address Friday during the Robeson County Republican Party Convention. The GOP gathering took place at the Lumberton Lions Club building on Carthage Road.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_GOP-Bryant.jpegThe Rev. C.L. Bryant gives the keynote address Friday during the Robeson County Republican Party Convention. The GOP gathering took place at the Lumberton Lions Club building on Carthage Road.

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To understand more fully the Mount Everest that Robeson County must climb in order the build the new schools this county’s future students need and deserve, read this a few times: If a $1.9 billion bond package that N.C. House Republicans floated last week were approved by voters during a statewide referendum in 2020, then the Public Schools of Robeson County would receive $51 million and some change — enough money to build a single school with a few million bucks left over.

Although the fourth highest total that any school district would receive, it still pays for a single school.

Just one.

That is if voters approve the bonds package, and it says nothing about the local politics that always pollute the process, and helps explain why 29 months after Hurricane Matthew padlocked West Lumberton Elementary School, whatever traction has been gained in building its replacement is difficult to discern. No one can say for sure when that school will be built, where it will be built and how it will be paid for.

The bond package isn’t the only plan in Raleigh to find money for school construction. Senate Republicans prefer a “pay-as-you-go” approach that would not mean any new debt for the state. We await details, but you can be sure, this plan isn’t going to quickly address what ails Robeson County.

And what is that?

Robeson County, still hungover from the late-80s merger of five systems, has a ridiculous 42 brick-and-and mortar schools, the youngest of which is more than 30 years old. Most are older and in various degrees of disrepair. It is not a stretch to say that some are borderline dangerous.

Lacking is the political courage to close the worst of the schools, and put the displaced students in the better of the ones that remain open. Such consolidation requires leadership and vision, of which there is no ample supply.

But what is also lacking is the dollars to build new schools, and on that the hands of our local leaders are essentially tied. It’s not a new problem, and the math is pretty easy. Robeson County, like so many rural counties in North Carolina, doesn’t have the property tax base to raise the money needed to build new schools. So we have a high tax rate and aging schools.

It is our belief that this is in violation of our state’s constitution, which guarantees “equal opportunities” for all students. Surely that extends to the school setting.

All this is why we lobbied hard in 2016 for what we saw then as a Big Bang approach to building new schools, the shuttering of 30 schools and the building of 14 new ones, a plan that promised minimal taxpayer pain through savings generated from fewer schools, less staff, energy-positive buildings, and reduced maintenance costs. Although never embraced by our Board of Education, the plan died elsewhere, in Raleigh.

That plan we found magical, and while we accept that it might not have perfectly followed the script on how it would have been paid for, the benefits would have been transformative, both in this county’s ability to educate our young people and as an additional tool when trying to recruit new industry.

We hope for its resurrection or something similarly delicious.

For now we need to be focused on replacing West Lumberton Elementary, as well as trying to figure out how to build a technical school, which could provide necessary skills to so many of our young people who aren’t college bound for whatever reason, including they don’t have the money to pay for it and don’t want to launch into adulthood under a mountain of college-loan debt.

The need for a technical school is undeniable, and should be something that people of all colors and from all corners in this county embrace. That $51 million we are sure would be enough.

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LUMBERTON — More than 100 people were charged or cited for at least 150 violations during Operation Saturday Night Special, according to the Robeson County sheriff.

The charges and citations were the result of traffic checkpoints that were set up Saturday throughout the county, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said. The citations issued included 41 for no operator’s license, 18 for driving while license revoked, nine for child restraint violations, seven for an expired vehicle registration, and four for driving while impaired.

Other safety and misdemeanor drug violations accounted for nearly 50 citations, Wilkins said. Eight people were arrested on outstanding warrants.

Dennis Bain, 20, of Britt Road in St. Pauls, was charged with felony fleeing to elude arrest after he tried to drive away from deputies to avoid a checkpoint, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release. He also was charged with possessing marijuana with intent to sell and deliver, maintaining a drug vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, and failing to stop at a stop sign or flashing light.

Bain was booked into the Robeson County Detention Center under a $30,000 bond.

Austin Clark, 21, of Pine Log Road in Lumberton, was charged with altering or removing a serial number on a firearm, possessing cocaine with intent to sell and deliver, maintaining a drug vehicle, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

His bond was set at $25,000.

Assisting the Sheriff’s Office were the Lumberton, Parkton, Pembroke and Rowland police departments, the N.C. Highway Patrol, the North Carolina Department of Safety, the Robeson County Communications Center, Robeson County Magistrates Office, Shane Todd, the coordinator of the NC Field Test for Alcohol BAT Mobile unit, Governor’s Highway Safety Program and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Bain

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Clark

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ST. PAULS — The last two hurricanes left a local family’s home beyond repair, but on Monday their brand new home was turned over to them after only 15 days of construction work.

That’s how long it took to demolish the hurricane- and flood-damaged home at 945 E. Broad St. and build a new 1,022-square-foot home from the ground up at the same location. The rebuild, free to the family of Robert, Roberta and Ruby West, was part of the Rebuild North Carolina program. The West home is the first house built in the state through the program.

The program is funded by Community Development Block Grant money funneled through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program received at least $1 million to rehab or rebuild homes, or purchase mobile homes for residents whose homes damaged or destroyed by hurricanes Matthew, in October 2016, and Florence, in September 2018.

The program has seen the rehabilitation, rebuilding or the purchase of mobile homes for 100 people in Robeson County.

Steve Mataro, owner of Texas-based DSW Homes, built the West home. Their home could not be saved, he said.

“They had to go, they 100 percent had to go,” Mataro said. “The residence was unsafe and unsanitary.”

The company used local sub-contractors to help with the work and purchased materials from local businesses.

Robert West, 53, said Hurricane Matthew did the worst damage to their home and believes negatively affected the health of his wife, Roberta.

“It was bad,” he said. “She had pneumonia 30 different times. I think it was because of the dampness.”

The couple didn’t have housing insurance and found out about the Rebuild North Carolina program in September 2017. They were first in Robeson County to sign up for assistance through the county’s Department of Social Services. Still, they did no know if anything good would come from it.

West’s mother, 75-year-old Ruby, who lives with them, remembers how bad it was living in the home damaged by hurricanes.

“We had insects and rodents and cracks in the foundation,” she said. “We prayed many a day to figure out what to do to get out.”

Roberta West, 56, testified about her faith in front of the people gathered for the unveiling of the home, while at the same time trying to hold her emotions in check. She said the new home had everything to do with divine intervention.

“I couldn’t imagine where I could get the money to repair the house,” she said. “I thank God. It was God in it the whole time. Now we have a new home, and I thank God for it.”

It cost about $120,000 to build the two-bedroom house, which came with kitchen appliances. Roberta was able to choose the paint color for the walls.

St. Pauls Mayor Jerry Weindel said he was proud a home in St. Pauls was the first built through the Rebuild North Carolina program. Lance Herndon, a Robeson County Board of Commissioners member, commended the contractors for their work.

“To see a home like this done in less than three weeks time is a super accomplishment,” Herndon said.

The West family will be moving their belongings into their new home during the next few days.

Ruby West is looking forward to using their new dishwasher to do the dishes, instead of doing them by hand.

“I do the dishes and she (Roberta) does the cooking,” Ruby said.

Roberta West sees her new home as a new start.

“After the hurricane, the house was in such bad shape I was ashamed of it,” she said. “Now I feel like it’s a fresh start to see where we can go from here.”

Rebuild North Carolina officials say funds still are available. For information on how to apply dial 2-1-1 or go online to www.rebuild.nc.gov.

Robeson County Commissioner Lance Herndon, left; St. Pauls Mayor Jerry Weindel; Michael A. Sprayberry, director of North Carolina Emergency Management; and new homeowners Robert West and his wife, Roberta West, talk Monday about the new house they now have as Steve Mataro, whose firm built the home, looks on.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_20190304_111140_ne201934182524463.jpgRobeson County Commissioner Lance Herndon, left; St. Pauls Mayor Jerry Weindel; Michael A. Sprayberry, director of North Carolina Emergency Management; and new homeowners Robert West and his wife, Roberta West, talk Monday about the new house they now have as Steve Mataro, whose firm built the home, looks on.

Roberta West of St. Pauls admires a room in her new home on Monday. Her previous home was damaged beyond repair by hurricanes Matthew and Florence, and through the Rebuild North Carolina program her old house was demolished and a new one was built from the ground up in 15 days at the same location.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_20190304_112359_ne201934182944815.jpgRoberta West of St. Pauls admires a room in her new home on Monday. Her previous home was damaged beyond repair by hurricanes Matthew and Florence, and through the Rebuild North Carolina program her old house was demolished and a new one was built from the ground up in 15 days at the same location.

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RALEIGH — The State Board of Elections on Monday declared Vanessa Burton the winner Monday in Robeson County’s long unsettled District Court election.

The board’s members also set filing and voting dates in the re-do election for the N.C. District 9 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Board members voted 3 to 2 along party lines to certify the results of the 16B Seat 2 contest that showed Burton, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jack Moody Jr. in the race for the judicial bench position. The five-person state board is composed of three Democrats and two Republicans.

Moody had little to say about the state board’s action. But he did hint that the fight may not be over.

“We are talking with our attorney now and deciding what our next move is, what is best for us and the county,” Moody said.

Burton has not returned phone calls to The Robesonian in recent weeks, and didn’t again for this story.

The District Court contest wasn’t certified by the State Board of Elections because of concerns the results of the Nov. 6 general election were tainted by the same absentee ballot irregularities that caused the District 9 race between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready not to be certified.

The vote count taken after the Nov. 6 general election showed Moody won by 138 votes. His lead was cut to 77 after absentee ballots were tallied. After provisional ballots were counted on Nov. 15, Moody trailed Burton by 71 votes.

Burton’s margin of victory was below the 1 percent of all votes cast threshold that permits a recount request. Moody was granted a recount, the results of which showed Burton had 15,382 votes to Moody’s 15,315, a margin of 67.

State Elections Board members declared that candidate filing for the District 9 do-over is to open Monday and end on March 14. Candidates must file at the State Board of Elections office, located at 430 N. Salisbury St. in Raleigh

The board also ordered that political party primary elections take place on May 14 and the general election on Sept. 10. If no candidate receives at least 30 percent of the vote cast during the primary, a second primary will take place Sept. 10 and the election will be Nov. 5.

On Feb. 21, the state board ordered a new election in District 9 after hearing days of evidence that implicated a political operative working for Republican candidate Mark Harris in the improper collection of absentee ballots. North Carolina law prohibits anyone other than a voter or immediate family member from handling a mail-in ballot.

Harris had narrowly led Democrat Dan McCready, but the elections board refused to certify the Nov. 6 results pending an investigation. McCready is running again in the new election. Harris is not and cited health problems for dropping out of the race.

“At long last, the people can begin to reclaim the rights that were stolen through historic election fraud at the hands of my opponent’s campaign and his allies,” McCready said in a statement. ” I look forward to a fair election to restore representation for the people of the Ninth District.”

Moody

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Burton

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PEMBROKE — The Pembroke Town Council on Monday approved a project that will is expected to help The University of North Carolina at Pembroke meet its growing housing needs.

Council members, acting on a recommendation from the Planning Board, gave unanimous approval to a mixed-use permit to allow construction of student housing and retail development, to be built in two phases, at Prospect and Corinth roads.

Richard Collier, of McKim & Creed developers, made the presentation to the council and said two buildings of student housing, when completed, will have a total of 192 apartments, with about 145 two-bedroom units. The rest will be four-bedroom units.

The residential building planned for the first phase of development will be on Prospect Road. The second will be farther back and adjacent to Corinth Road.

The construction represents an investment of about $20 million, said Councilman Channing Jones, who is mayor pro-tem. He presided over the meeting because Mayor C. Gregory Cummings was absent because of illness.

The new housing will help UNCP accommodate what is projected to be “unprecedented growth due to the N.C. Promise program,” Jones said.

The Promise has sparked an increased interest privatized housing for students, he said.

The university, which currently has about 7,000 students, is projecting an enrollment of 8,000 in the fall with growth to about 10,000 in the next three to five years, Jones said.

It’s not known when construction will begin.

Also on Monday, the council appointed Jessica Scott, a Robeson County native, as the town’s attorney. Scott, a member of Hunt & Brooks law firm in Pembroke, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin. She is to be paid $125 per hour and will be on a $600 per month retainer, Town Manager Tyler W. Thomas said.

In other business, the council;

— Agreed to hold a public hearing at the April 1 meeting on a request from Tony and Peggy Brewington to have the zoning for a little more than two acres of land on N.C. 711 changed from Industrial to Residential.

— Agreed to accept a site plan for a proposed Lumbee Tribe Housing Maintenance Facility to be built at Clovis and Youth drives.

— Took no action after meeting in closed session to consider personnel, litigation, economic and real estate matters.

Jones

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LUMBERTON — Despite a down year in 2018 as compared to two years ago for the Lumberton softball team, coach Mackie Register knows that the target on his team is just as big as ever.

Rightfully so as the Lady Pirates have nine seniors, with a majority sporting four years of varsity experience, coming into the 2019 season. With that trove of experience, Register said the preseason has gone smoothly.

“When you’ve got nine seniors, it’s nice coming into practice, especially with how the weather has been to not get in as many practices, and have a veteran group that already knows what we want to do,” Register said. “This year the girls have been working hard in the offseason. We’ve spent some time in the weight room and get some other things done. I see the hunger in them.”

That hunger is what the Lady Pirates want to use to improve on from a 16-10 record in 2018, after going 20-5 and winning the Robeson County Slugfest and Southeastern Conference tournament two seasons ago.

“We want to be the best team we’ve ever had here. That says a lot,” Register said. “I know a lot of teams are going to be gunning for us. Especially around here.”

Last season, Lumberton was unable to hold teams off at the plate with Morgan Britt suffering through a shoulder injury. After an offseason of rest and rehab, Britt said she feels like she is back to the sophomore form she had to lead that Lumberton team two years ago when she struck out 220 batters and posted a 1.88 ERA.

“I’m hoping to put together a healthy season so that way we can take our spot back at the top of the conference,” Britt said. ”I’ve got a strong core group of seniors backing me and we are expecting good things this season.”

Britt pitched in the opener against Ashley last week, striking out 14 of the 15 outs in the win to throw her third career no-hitter.

“She has definitely put in the work to be back to where she was her sophomore year,” Register said.

Lumberton also returns eight of the top 10 bats in the lineup from a year ago. Led by Madison Canady, three-time county Player of the Year, and Kasey West behind the plate, the Lady Pirates have increased their runs per game average over the last three years, and scored more than nine runs a game last season.

With Britt dialed in, Canady said there’s not as much need of a high offensive output this season, but still looks to improve in the batter’s box.

“I’m always trying to do better than I did the previous year, but team wise I’m really looking forward to going deeper in the playoffs,” Canady said. “I really want to make that run this year and I feel that this is my year.”

West has been a consistent top of the lineup hitter in the past, and looks to bring her bat, along with her ability to throw out runners from behind the plate.

“I want to have a higher batting average and a better caught stealing average,” West said. “We’re trying to go out win every game.”

Lumberton baseball eyes to clean mistakes

Lumberton baseball coach Jeff McLamb has seen maturity from his team so far in the offseason to prepare for changes in the upcoming season. After errors plagued the Pirates in many close games last season, the leaders of the team are focused on not letting that be the case in 2019.

“We’ve talked about last year and how the little things cost us ballgames,” McLamb said. “Them guys know how important the little things are and I’ve seen in practice how they are trying to clean up the little things.”

Lumberton went 5-15 last season, with five of those losses coming in three-run games or closer. Six seniors that all saw time for the Pirates last season are the ones that McLamb has seen take the lead in a soggy preseason where practices haven’t been as frequent as he would like.

“We have good senior leadership and good core guys that are keeping us up,” McLamb said.

Two of those players, Parks Ledwell and Seth Odum, head a deep pitching staff that McLamb said is capable of producing what the team needs this season.

“That’s going to be our strong point. I think we’ve got five good, solid pitchers that we can put on the mound at anytime,” McLamb said. “Last year I felt like we only had three.”

Joining the two seniors are juniors Bryce Stueck and Jordan Smith, and sophomore Jacob Scott.

“Bryce pitched at Ashley and did a good job. We just made a few mistakes behind him, but other than that he did good,” McLamb said. “He did real awesome last year on JV, but so far everything I’ve seen from him I’ve liked.”

As pitching seems to be nailed down, giving run support is another area that McLamb wants to see improvement.

“We’ve just got to put the ball in play,” McLamb said. “We’ve got to put some runs up for our pitching staff.”

He expects Kris Allen and Ledwell to anchor the middle of the order.

Jonathan Bym | The Robesonian file photo Lumberton’s Morgan Britt (2) celebrates a strikeout with teammates Madison Canady, left, and Katie Kinlaw (5). Those three will be a key part of a senior-led team looking to close out their careers as one of the most successful senior classes at Lumberton.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Lumberton-softball2017530161940200.jpgJonathan Bym | The Robesonian file photo Lumberton’s Morgan Britt (2) celebrates a strikeout with teammates Madison Canady, left, and Katie Kinlaw (5). Those three will be a key part of a senior-led team looking to close out their careers as one of the most successful senior classes at Lumberton.

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BLADENBORO — The Purnell Swett girls soccer team claimed its second win on the young season and its second win over West Bladen with an 8-1 road victory on Monday.

UNCP signee Madison Oxendine recorded a hat trick in the first half for thee Lady Rams (2-0). Purnell Swett led 5-1 over the Lady Knights at halftime.

Layla Locklear and Anna Lowry each scored two goals apiece for Purnell Swett. Abi Lowry scored the other goal in the win.

Purnell Swett hosts Richmond on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

UNCP second after first day at Low Country Invitational

BLUFFTON, S.C. — Sophomore Maddy Corley and senior Alexandria Bare both find themselves among the top 10 on the individual leaderboard, and the UNC Pembroke golf team is just one stroke off the lead after opening-round action at the Wingate-hosted Low Country Invitational in Bluffton, S.C.

Corley (+4) is among a five-way tie for fourth place – just two strokes off of the leaders – after carding a 4-over-par 75 in Monday’s opening round, while Bare (+5) walked into the clubhouse on Monday with a share of ninth place. Junior Katy Flax (+6) shot a 77 on Monday to grab a share of 14th place, while junior Casey Burroughs (+10) and freshman Parker Melting (+13) are tied for 28th and 40thplace, respectively.

Newcomer Amanda Hamrin (+12), who is competing in the event as an individual entry, is among a three-way tie for 37th place heading into Tuesday’s final round at the par-71, 5,843-yard Crescent Pointe Golf Club in Bluffton.

Western Michigan (+24), who competes as a member of NCAA Division I’s Mid-American Conference (MAC), will take a one-stroke lead over the Braves (+25) into Tuesday’s final round. Nationally-ranked Flagler (+30) and Lander (+34) are in the third and fourth positions, while No. 25 Wingate (+35) and No. 24 Lenoir-Rhyne are tied for fifth.

Tuesday’s final round is expected to get underway at 8 a.m.

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