GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Cierra Carter scored 20 points and Furman used a strong first half to build a double digit lead that proved enough to hold off UNCW, 76-71, in women's basketball action Sunday afternoon at Timmons Arena.

The victory was the fifth in five home outings this season for Furman (5-1), which plays at Georgia on Thursday.

UNCW (3-3) was paced by Lacey Suggs' 20-point effort.

Carter, Furman's senior All-Southern Conference forward who entered the game with 997 points, wasted little time in becoming the 23rd play in program history to reach 1,000 points when she drained a 3-pointer for the Paladins' first basket of the game, exactly one minute into the contest.  The Columbia, S.C., product added two more treys over the next four minutes to give the Paladins a 12-6 lead.

Furman built on its quick start with a blistering 25-point second quarter that featured 10-of-15 shooting and sent the Paladins into intermission with a 43-29 advantage.

Furman's advantage grew to 55-33 when Stephania Oramas drained a pair of free throws four minutes into the second half, after which the Seahawks mounted a furious comeback, sparked by a 16-4 run to finish the period trailing 59-49.

Two Carter free throws with 6:01 to go put the Paladins up 70-58, but UNCW charged back with their second 8-0 run of the half, capped by Suggs' stick back off an offensive rebound that pull the Seahawks to within 70-66 at the 4:09 mark.

UNCW got to within 75-71 on a Jenny DeGraaf 3-pointer with 44 seconds on the clock; however, the Seahawks couldn't take advantage of turnovers on Furman's next two possessions, missing a pair of shots and while also suffering a turnover with 20 seconds remaining.  Oramas finished off the game with a free throw with 10 seconds to go.

Le'Jzae Davidson followed Carter in the scoring column with 16 points and DeAnneisha Jackson and Oramas tallied 14 apiece.

Rebekah Banks added 17 for the Seahawks, who also got 15 from Madison Raque and 14 from DeGraaf.

Furman shot a sizzling 58.6 percent from the field (17x29) in the first half but cooled off considerably over the game's final 20 minutes to finish at 47.2 percent (25x53).

UNCW, which converted just 12-of-28 first half shots (42.9%), ended the contest shooting 46.7 percent (28x60).

The Paladins fashioned a solid performance at free throw line, draining 18-of-21 chances (85.7%).

The Seahawks forged a 33-29 advantage on the boards, led by Banks' nine caroms.

Hunter Reid, Furman Sports Information