DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Visiting USC Aiken scored the game’s first eight points and never looked back as the Pacers led wire-to-wire in a 90-82 Peach Belt Conference win over the University of North Georgia men’s basketball team on Monday evening in UNG’s Memorial Hall.

North Georgia falls to 8-6 overall and the blemish is the first in league play.

Ebo Smith led four Nighthawks in double figures with 18 points, highlighted by 4-of-8 from behind the 3-point line. Ephriam Tshimanga matched his season high of 15 points fueled by a perfect 9-of-9 showing from the charity stripe.

Ross Morkem and Roderick English added 11 and 10 respectively for UNG.

For most of the second half, USC Aiken held at least an eight-point lead and extended the score to 14 when Jalin Barnes hit a three-pointer to make it 75-61 with 6:11 to play.

North Georgia fought back and pulled within five at 85-80, but a USCA jumper with 29 ticks remaining pushed the score to 87-80. The Nighthawks made it 88-82 with 11 seconds to go but the Pacers buried a pair of free throws to close it out.

NOTES
– The Pacers are now 8-4 overall, including a 2-3 record in Peach Belt Conference play.

– Leading the way for USC Aiken was Jalin Barnes with 24 points. Mark Matthews added a double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds.

– Barnes and teammate Christian Noble combined to make 10-of-19 shots from long range.

NEXT
North Georgia hits the road again on Wednesday, Jan. 11 for a 7:30 league tilt against Georgia College in Milledgeville.

PEMBROKE, N.C. – The University of North Georgia men’s basketball team came up short against the hot-handed Braves of UNC Pembroke falling, 89-71, Monday afternoon at Lumbee Bank Court. The Nighthawks slip to 9-7 on the season and are now 5-2 in the Peach Belt Conference.

The game was tightly contested through the first two media timeouts but the Braves began to pull away after that finding a double digit lead at the 8:19 mark in the first half and UNCP would lead by at least 10 points the rest of the way. The Braves grew their lead to as many as 29 points with a Mike Smith three-pointer at the 7:48 mark of the second half but the Nighthawks would not go quietly, finishing the game on a 20-9 run giving the game its 89-71 final.

NOTES
– Shaquan Cantrell led the team in scoring with 14 points while Tyler Dominy posted the most rebounds with 7.

– Five Nighthawks posted double figure scoring on the day including Cantrell, Dominy (11), Ephraim Tshimanga (13), Ross Morkem (11), and Denzell Hosch (13).

– The loss is the third straight to UNC Pembroke for the Nighthawks. North Georgia still leads the all-time series however, 9-7.

NEXT UP
The Nighthawks return to Dahlonega on Wednesday night as they will play host to the Lakers of Clayton State. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on Alzheimer’s Awareness Night. Fans are encouraged to wear purple to the game.

FLORENCE, S.C. – The University of North Georgia men’s basketball team soared past Francis Marion, 84-72, Saturday afternoon at the Smith University Center. The Nighthawks move to 9-6 on the season with a 5-1 mark in the Peach Belt Conference.

After trailing for most of the first half, UNG closed the opening period of play on a 13-2 run over the last 4:40 to take a 37-30 lead into the intermission. While the Patriots would pull within three points on six different occasions in the second half, North Georgia would never surrender the lead pulling away in the final minutes to earn the 84-72 win.

NOTES
– Shaquan Cantrell and Denzell Hosch led the team in scoring with 16 points each. Ephraim Tshimanga added 14 points and was just one rebound shy of a double-double with nine, which led the squad.

– UNG scored an eye-popping 47 points off the bench in the game compared to just 12 points scored off the Patriots bench.

– The Nighthawks improve to 11-5 all-time against FMU after avenging last year’s 90-81 loss in Florence.

NEXT UP
North Georgia wraps up the two-game road swing at UNC Pembroke on Monday, Jan. 16. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The University of North Georgia men’s basketball team erased a five-point deficit in the final 66 seconds to defeat Flagler, 84-82, Wednesday evening in St. Augustine. The Nighthawks improve to 7-5 on the year and remain unscathed in Peach Belt Conference play at 3-0.

UNG maintained the lead for the vast majority of the first half, opening up the largest lead of the game at 23-13 with a Duke Robinson layup at the 9:29 mark, although the Saints would close the Nighthawk advantage to just one point heading into intermission.

The second half was a classic back-and-forth affair as neither team was able to string together a long scoring run with the game staying within two possessions for the final 20 minutes of action. The Saints found their largest lead of the night at five with just 1:06 remaining but North Georgia would refused to go silently as Ephraim Tshimanga came up with a huge steal following a Shaquan Cantrell layup and quickly found Cantrell again who’s slam dunk pulled UNG within one with 44 ticks left. The Nighthawk defense came up with another key turnover as Duke Robinson picked up a steal just 10 seconds later.

A Flagler foul would put Tshimanga at the line with the chance to take the lead and despite a rather shaky night for UNG at the charity stripe, the freshman came through on both attempts to put North Georgia ahead by two. A blocking fall called on the other end away from the basket let the Saints tie the game back up at 82-all. With the shot clock dark, Tshimanga would find the ball in his hands and made the most of the opportunity with a last second floater making its way through the iron to with just one second left to give the Nighthawks the 84-82 win.

NOTES
– Shaquan Cantrell led all scorers with 19 points on the night while Tyler Dominy led the team in rebounds with six. Tshimanga added 15 points while Dominy and Roderick English each scored 12 on the night.

– This marks the fourth time UNG has started PBC play 3-0 since joining the league in 2005. The Nighthawks best start in league play was 5-0 set in the 2013-14 season.

– North Georgia improves to 9-1 all-time against Flagler, having won five straight over the Saints.

STAT OF THE NIGHT
39 – North Georgia scored 39 points off the bench in the matchup more than tripling up Flagler’s 12 bench points on the night.

NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will journey up the Atlantic Coast to take on Armstrong State in Savannah on Friday. Tipoff for the game has been moved up to 3:30 p.m.

AMERICUS, Ga. – The University of North Georgia men’s basketball team used some last second dramatics to take Georgia Southwestern to overtime on Saturday afternoon at the Storm Dome but the Hurricanes prevailed in the extra period, 95-89. The Nighthawks move to 9-9 on the season with a 5-4 record in the Peach Belt Conference.

UNG opened the game with a 3-0 lead as both teams were a little slow out of the gate but Georgia Southwestern would take a lead after the first media timeout of the first half and held the lead all the way up to the final minute of regulation. The Hurricanes led by nine with just 16 seconds remaining in the game when UNG pulled off an improbably 9-0 scoring run in the final seconds that was sparked by a three-pointer by Duke Robinson. A Hurricane turnover led to a Denzell Hosch three-point basket just nine seconds later and Ephraim Tshimanga came up with a steal to feed Hosch again who fired off another three finding the bottom of the net with just two seconds left to force overtime.

Unfortunately for the Nighthawks the hot hands turned cold in the overtime period as UNG shot just 25 percent from the field in the extra five minutes of play falling, 95-89.

NOTES
– Shaquan Cantrell led the Nighthawks with 23 points, while Ephraim Tshimanga pulled down a team high six rebounds.

– North Georgia scored 28 points off turnovers in the second half helping force the extra period.

– UNG’s tough luck in overtime games continued Saturday. North Georgia is 0-3 in games this season that went to an extra period after going 2-0 in overtime games last year.

– The Nighthawks are just 1-7 in their last eight games against Georgia Southwestern with the lone win coming in last year’s 110-101 shootout.

NEXT UP
North Georgia will travel to Montevallo next Saturday, Jan. 28. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m., EST.

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The University of North Georgia men’s basketball team fell just short in a closely contested 89-84 overtime loss to the visiting Panthers of Clark Atlanta University. With the loss the Nighthawks fall to 2-2 on the season.

After a slow start to the night, the Panthers settled into a comfortable lead despite the Nighthawks scoring the first points of the game. Despite a 12-point lead by the Panthers at the 9:09 mark, the Nighthawks remained focused, allowing for a comeback started by guard Tyler Dominy. Dominy’s made jumper would lead to a series of key defensive stops by the Nighthawks and two buckets for guard Shaquan Cantrell. This set the wheels in motion again for the Nighthawks and would eventually put North Georgia within one point of the lead with just two minutes remaining in the half. Despite the push by the Nighthawks, late foul trouble led them into the half trailing 34-29.

The second half rang true much the same of the first, a consistent lead held by the Panthers came to a head at the 3:10 mark with an 11 point CAU lead. However, the Nighthawks counter would prove much more volatile this time, highlighted by three made three-point shots by guard Denzell Hosch. Hosch’s baskets excited the Nighthawks fans and players and allowed them to tie the game and go on to take the lead with 32 seconds remaining in the game. Despite losing the lead, the Panthers would not give up without a fight, forcing overtime.

The Panther’s Lawrance Triplett scored the first basket of the overtime period, and while the Nighthawks would tie the game again with a three-point shot from Denzell Hosch, they would not be able to regain the lead during the overtime period, falling 89-84 to Clark Atlanta.

NOTES
– Freshman guard Denzell Hosch went 7-10, scoring 21 point, a new career high. Hosch’s line included 6-8 from behind the three-point arc, including several key baskets.

– Junior Shaquan Cantrell led North Georgia off the glass with nine rebounds on the night.

NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will travel to Gaffney, S.C. to take on Limestone College on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 7:30 p.m.

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The University of North Georgia men’s basketball team opened up its 2016-17 home slate on the right foot Tuesday evening, beating the Bruins of Bob Jones, 93-64, with four Nighthawks hitting double digit scoring totals on the night. UNG improves to 2-1 on the year with the victory.

Marshall Riddle got BJU off to a fast start in the first half draining a three-pointer just 20 seconds into the game. The Bruins held the lead from that point up until the 14:03 mark when a Juan Rivas three tied the game at 14-14. North Georgia closed out the half strong with a 20-point advantage in the final 14 minutes of the half to enter halftime with a 49-29 lead.

The Bruins would pull within single digits twice in the second half put ultimately the Nighthawks proved to be too strong picking up the 93-64 win with a dominant performance in the closing 10 minutes of play.

NOTES
– Sean Brennan, Tyler Dominy, and Ebo Smith led UNG in scoring with 18 points each. Dominy led the effort off the glass with nine rebounds on the night, just one board shy of a double-double.

– The Nighthawks will nearly flawless from the charity stripe, shooting 16-17 on free-throws, 94.1%.

– The victory is the first for UNG over Bob Jones. The Bruins took the first game in the all-time series, 85-69, last year.

STAT OF THE NIGHT
33 – The Nighthawks scored 33 points off of turnovers in the contest compared to just eight by Bob Jones.

NEXT UP
North Georgia will welcome Division I Clark Atlanta to Memorial Hall on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

MIESENHEIMER, N.C. – Pfeiffer scored 67 second half points to rally and edge the University of North Georgia men’s basketball team, 93-86, on the final day of the Conference Carolinas/Peach Belt Conference Challenge in PU’s Merner Gym.

North Georgia led by as many as 21 points, but a furious second half rally by the Falcons erased the lead and gives the Nighthawks (1-1) their first setback of the season.

A pair of free throws from Denzell Hosch with 1:36 remaining gave North Georgia its final lead of the game, 84-82, but Pfeiffer closed the game with an 11-2 run to seal the come-from-behind win.

Shaquan Cantrell led five players in double figures with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor and added a team-best nine rebounds.

NOTES
– North Georgia was plagued by 33 turnovers, including 18 in the second half, of which the Falcons converted into 37 points on the other end.

– Andrew Guerrero and A.J. Clark combined to score 49 points for Pfeiffer (2-0).

– A 3-pointer by Roderick English game UNG its largest lead of 21 points in the first half as the Nighthawks would take a 43-26 lead into intermission.

– Dominy scored 12 of his 14 points in first twenty minutes.

– Sean Brennan missed a double-double by a single assist as he pitched in with 11 points and nine assists.

NEXT
North Georgia will entertain Bob Jones on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 in the Nighthawks’ home opener in UNG’s Memorial Hall.