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COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University women's basketball team got the best of UNC Pembroke 64-51 in a defensive struggle Saturday. The Peach Belt Conference contest was played in the Lumpkin Center.
 
Zoi Thompson scored a season-high 13 points to tie for the team lead on Saturday. Machala Raymonville also added 13, 11 of which came from the free throw line. Tatum Jarvis and Tatiana Wayne finished with 12 and 10, respectively.
 
Columbus State (8-4, 6-2 PBC) scored nearly half of its points from the free throw line, knocking down 30-of-40 attempts. The 30 makes were the most for the Lady Cougars since knocking down 38 on Feb. 10, 2008 against Francis Marion.
 
"On a night when the ball wasn't going in for us offensively, it was nice to see us make up for it on the defensive end," head coach Anita Howard said. "We did a good job attacking the basket and were strong on the glass."
 
Thompson got the Lady Cougars off and running Saturday, scoring the first eight CSU points. The junior knocked down 3-pointers on the first two possessions of the game and then scored off a steal to give Columbus State an early 8-3 edge.
 
From there, the game became defensive as the two sides went nearly seven full minutes between field goals.
 
CSU led 12-8 after the first 10 minutes, but quickly opened up a double-digit lead with six straight points to start the second quarter.
 
UNC Pembroke (4-8, 2-6) kept hanging tough though, working back to within three and trailing 27-19 at halftime. The Braves' offense got going in the third quarter, using a late 7-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 36-34. Jarvis tied the game up and it went to the fourth even at 38.
 
With the game level at 44-all and under five minutes remaining, Sabria Cotton knocked down a pair of free throws to push CSU in front with a lead it would not relinquish.
 
Over the final five minutes, the Lady Cougars were 13-for-17 from the stripe to put the game away.
 
CSU shot just 15-of-50 (30 percent) for the game and 4-of-20 from the 3-point line, but made up for it at the free throw line.
 
Columbus State is home again on Monday for an afternoon contest against Francis Marion. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.