Pembroke, N.C.----The UNC Pembroke Braves outscored visiting Wingate University 54-32 in the second half Wednesday night en route to a 91-63 victory in NCAA Division II men's basketball action. The Braves improve to 2-1 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 1-2 on the year.

Alex Bradley had 19 points, five assists and four rebounds to lead the UNCP attack, while Brandon Watts added 18 points and 11 rebounds. Nigel Grant contributed 13 points and eight rebounds, while Andrew Evans added 12 points for the Braves.

Junior guard Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) led all scorers with 22 points, going seven-of-11 from the field to notch his second straight 20-point game. Seniors Anthanee Doyle (Holly Springs, N.C.) and Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) contributed nine points apiece, while junior forward Lee McCall (Indian Land, S.C.) added seven points for the Bulldogs.

A Mike Smith three gave the Braves a 17-11 lead eight minutes into the opening half, while another Smith triple pushed the lead to eight at the 9:45 mark. Two Lolar free throws and a Lolar three got Wingate within three with six minutes left in the half, but a Bradley triple extended the UNCP lead back to eight at the 4:14 mark. A layup and three from freshman Jeremy Williams (Monroe, N.C.) tied it at 31, but the Braves ended the half on a 6-0 run, taking a 37-31 halftime lead on a steal and a layup from Bradley in the final seconds.

The Braves continued the run in the second half, taking a 12-point lead on a Watts jumper two minutes after halftime. A layup from Mike Baez (Orlando, Fla.) got the Bulldogs back within eight, but a Watts triple stretched the lead to 14 at 55-31 with 13:27 to go. A Smith three at the 8:51 mark gave UNCP an 18-point lead. A Lolar three-point play trimmed the deficit to 14 at the 6:27 mark, but the Bulldogs would get no closer, with the Braves closing the game on a 20-6 run.

UNC Pembroke shot 48 percent from the field, hitting 10-of-26 shots from three-point range (38 percent). Wingate shot 40 percent on the night, going four-for-16 from beyond the arc (25 percent). The Braves held a 43-31 rebounding advantage, with a 31-11 edge in second-chance points. UNCP turned 20 Wingate turnovers into 30 points on the night.

The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday, opening conference play at Tusculum at 4 p.m.