PEMBROKE — Two very similar teams will face off on Wednesday when The University of North Carolina at Pembroke men’s basketball team hosts USC Aiken.
The Braves and Pacers both find themselves tied atop the Peach Belt Conference standings with Francis Marion with one loss each, and both teams sport the league’s top two field goal percentage defenses. The Braves are the only teams to hold opponents to under 40 percent from the floor this season, while USC Aiken’s opponents are shooting 42 percent.
No. 21 UNCP’s (13-2, 8-1 PBC) defense will be challenged by perimeter oriented and sixth-ranked USC Aiken (15-1, 9-1 PBC). USC Aiken has three of the top 10 scorers in the conference, and its top four scorers account for nearly 75 percent of the team’s scoring.
“They can really score the ball and have some really good, quick guards that can score and distribute,” UNCP coach Ben Miller said. “They have good size and balance. They’re playing with a lot of confidence so it should be a battle.”
The game comes at the end of a three-game stretch over five days. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. with the women’s game and 7:30 p.m. for the men’s contest.
Leading the Pacers’ backcourt are junior Xzavier Barmore and senior Ty’Lik Evans. Both are averaging more than 17 points per game. Doniel Dean is averaging 15 points per game. To slow down that group, the Braves are back to full strength at guard with sophomore Tyrell Kirk returning to the lineup on Monday after missing two games due to a concussion.
As a whole, USC Aiken is clean on the offensive side of the ball, committing a league-low 12 turnovers a game. That’s where the challenge comes in on both sides of the ball for the Braves.
“I think we’ve just got to do what we do. Both teams like to get offense from their defense and so you have to take care of the ball on the offensive end so you don’t give them chances,” Miller said. “We’ve got to be as disruptive as we can to try and disrupt their flow offensively. Transition is going to be key. Both teams like to get up and down the floor so it should be an exciting game for the fans.”
UNCP sophomore Spencer Levi has come alive as of late with three straight double-figure scoring games, and is shooting 70 percent from the floor, which is tops in the league. His approach on offense is not to press the issue with his shot selection.
“I just take what the defenses give me and pretty much feed off everybody else,” Levi said. “I feel like we’ve got a pretty good offense and I take advantage of the opportunities that I’m given.”
Levi has brought depth to the frontcourt in his first season in Pembroke, and the recent scoring spree he credits to the overall comfort with the team. He is averaging 16.5 points and eight rebounds over the last five games.
Alongside Levi, the Braves sport an advantage in the paint with the team’s top two leading scorers in James Murray-Boyles and Akia Pruitt, who combine for 36 points per game.
“He’s a high production guy for the minutes he’s getting,” Miller said of Levi. “There has been some games where he plays 20-plus minutes, and even in the games where he gets 18 or 19 minutes, he’s still getting double figures.”
USC Aiken has been out-rebounded by its opponents by an average of two boards a game, while the Braves lead the league at winning the rebounding battle by more than nine boards a game. As teams in the Peach Belt have come wise to the Braves’ style of play, players like Levi have looked to gain the upper hand on the boards.
“I’ve been trying to make myself better by giving full effort. Rebounding is one of those effort things,” Levi said. “You hit somebody and you’re either going to get the rebound to yourself or your teammate is going to get it.”
On the women’s side, UNCP and USC Aiken are jockeying for position in the middle of the pack in the Peach Belt standings. A win on Wednesday could serve a major role in tiebreakers when it comes to seeding for the conference tournament.
“It’s just a fight to try and get into the conference tournament,” UNCP coach John Haskins said. “We are just trying to get better and each game is important.”
UNCP (5-10, 4-5 PBC) is coming off its best offensive shooting performance in nearly two decades as it shot more than 59 percent from the floor in the win over Georgia Southwestern. While offensive nights like that are hard to come by, Haskins knows that his team’s defense will be challenged by USC Aiken (9-7, 5-5 PBC).
The Lady Pacers are shooting better than 33 percent from behind the arc this season, and go up against the Lady Braves that have the second-best field goal percentage defense in the conference.
Also adding to the Lady Pacers’ offensive attack is sophomore center Kwajelin Farrar, who has been a walking double-double this season, averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds a night.
“That provides a challenge. She challenges shots at the rim so there are not easy shots at the rim,” Haskins said. “They are a great rebounding team and they lead the league in rebounding at plus-10. All of those will be challenge us and we will have to grind it out on defense and do a good job of pushing her off her spots, challenge on 3-point shots and rebound the ball.”
Junior Tee Graham has had the hot hand for the Lady Braves over the last four games, averaging 15.8 points,five assists and nearly five rebounds a game. She has also turned in a pair of 20-plus point games. The Lady Braves will also have the additional depth of Alecia Hardy returning to the lineup after suffering a concussion.
