Buck Breaks Through as UNC Pembroke Defeats Belmont Abbey to Claim CC East Share

PEMBROKE, N.C. #24 UNC Pembroke defeated Belmont Abbey 27–12 on Senior Night Friday night in Conference Carolinas dual action at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.

The victory secured at least a share of the Conference Carolinas East Division title for UNC Pembroke and locked up hosting duties for the Conference Carolinas Wrestling Championship on Sunday, February 15.

UNC Pembroke built early separation in the dual, winning the first three bouts by bonus points to establish momentum. The Braves later added three consecutive victories in the middle of the lineup, allowing them to maintain control as the match progressed through the final weights.

Following the back-to-back conference wins, head coach Othello Johnson credited the team’s consistency and daily approach for the results. "It’s a testament to these guys and them listening to what we preach every day in the room,” Johnson said. “We get up in the morning when a lot of people are still checking the back of their eyelids. When you do that morning after morning after morning, tonight becomes easy work.”

One of the key individual performances of the night came from Jackson Buck, who earned the first ranked win of his collegiate career with a 16–13 decision over No. 12 Caleb Moore.

Buck pointed to trust and patience as he worked through early-season challenges. "My coaches have been talking to me about just trusting the process,” Buck said. “I’ve taken some lumps this year, but every day it’s about trusting the process"

Despite clinching a share of the division title, Johnson emphasized that the focus remains on continued improvement with the postseason approaching

"There’s still work to be done,” Johnson said. “We’ll celebrate tonight, but we’ll get back to work Monday, weather permitting. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

UNC Pembroke improved to 14–4 overall and 7–2 in Conference Carolinas action, while extending its all-time record against Belmont Abbey to 20–4.

The Crusaders fell to 6–5 overall and 6–2 in conference play with the loss.

The Braves will return to action on February 1, traveling to South Carolina to compete in the Newberry Open as preparations continue for the Conference Carolinas Wrestling Championship and NCAA Super Regionals.