Nick Kolsin, Sports Reporter
The UNC Pembroke men’s basketball team defeated the Emmanuel University Lions 82-81 in another overtime thriller to win the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship for the first time since joining the conference and their first conference championship since winning the Peach Belt in the 2016-17 season.
“What a game, I mean Emmanuel is a really good basketball team with really good players and coaches. I feel lucky that we came out on top. It was back and forth and no point you felt like anyone had an advantage. I was proud about how we gutted it out,” Head coach Drew Richards said.
Winning the Conference Championship secured a berth for the Braves as they punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. The Braves will be the #5 seed in the Southeast region where they will face off with #4 seeded Catawba. Tip-off is set for Saturday March 16th at 7:30 p.m. North Georgia will host the game as the region host.
The Lions struck first in overtime on a layup from guard KJ Jones. The Braves and Dallas Gardner responded with a tough and one layup and free throw to give the Braves a one-point lead. After trading scores for the next few minutes, the Lions got two free throws to give them a 81-78 lead with 1:32 to go in overtime. With 1:09 left, Bradlee Haskell took up a midrange jumper and got fouled, converting both free throws to cut the lead to one. After a Lions miss, Nygell Verdier had the ball at the top of the key with 20 seconds left to take the lead and potentially win the conference.
Verdier drove to the paint, slicing through two defenders and put up a strong layup that went in giving the Braves an 82-81 lead with 9 seconds left on the clock. The ball was then in the hands of the conference player of the year KJ Jones for the Lions. Jones drove, and took a pullup midrange jumper that didn’t fall, the Braves got the rebound and celebration ensued.
Going into the under eight minute media timeout in the second half, the Braves were down six needing some big moments to bring them back into the game and to win them the title. Out of the timeout Elijah Cobb got a rimrocking dunk to bring the Braves within three. After two free throws from the Lions, Cobb added to his remarkable night by hitting a three to cut the lead to two. After two trips to the line, the Lions brought the lead back up to six with five minutes left in the contest. Gardner introduced himself to the big stages by hitting a clutch three, rebounding a Lions miss, and coming down the other way to hit a mid-range jumper to make it 67-66.
Richards was asked about what Gardner brought to this game, he had this to say.
“Dallas has never been afraid of the moment,” Richards said. “He works on his game, and he deserved it.”
Cobb finally took the lead back with 3:39 to play in regulation on a tough layup from Cobb. After a dunk from Jones of the Lions, Verdier answered back with a corner three to give the Braves a 71-69 lead. The Lions tied and took the lead with 57 seconds left in regulation. Coming out of a timeout, the Braves called on Cobb once again to deliver for them in a big moment, and he delivered tying the game at 73 with 40 seconds to go. With 10 seconds left, Cobb blocked Jones to send the game to overtime for the Braves second day in a row.
“The journey that he’s been through to be on this stage and to see him do what he does, I’m so proud of him” Richards said about Cobb. “He’s been through as much adversity as anyone in that locker room.”
Cobb was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Verdier and Haskell were also named to the all-tournament team. Cobb finished with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block. Verdier followed with 18 points, three rebounds and one assist. Gardner provided momentum off the bench with 13 points, Haskell had 12 points and Josh Bernbaum finished with a team best nine rebounds.