University of North Georgia Athletics

DAHLONEGA | Kelsey Hutchins and Cierra Jackson combined to score 43 points as the University of North Georgia women's basketball team held off a second half charge from Montevallo to post a 73-61 Peach Belt Conference win on Wednesday evening in Memorial Hall.

North Georgia opened the game on a 14-0 run and would finish the first quarter with nine unanswered points to take a 27-4 lead. 

The Nighthawks led by as many as 29 in the first half and took a 43-18 advantage into intermission after knocking down six 3-point baskets in the first 20 minutes.

Hutchins netted 15 of her game-high 24 points in the first half.

In a tale of two halves, Montevallo started the third quarter by scoring the first 15 points and would get as close as 12 (43-31) with 5:05 left in the third quarter.

The Falcons' rally would only get as close as nine, 70-61, with just 20 seconds left.

NOTES
- North Georgia held a decisive 50-31 edge on the glass, but was plagued by 22 turnovers of which Montevallo converted into 23 points on the other end.

- The double-double was Jackson's 12^th of the season.

- The win is the sixth consecutive in the series for the Nighthawks, but Montevallo holds the all-time edge, 23-9.

- Molly Rainwater added nine points for UNG with all the damage coming from behind the 3-point line.  The senior guard added a game-high five assists.

- Freshman Ashley Parker matched her career high of seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor marking the second time in the last three games she has posted the career high.

- Morgan Smith led Montevallo with 22 points and eight rebounds while Courtney McKenzie added 12.

- The win snapped a season-long three-game losing streak for North Georgia. 
 
NEXT
North Georgia travels to Greenwood, S.C. on Saturday (Jan. 30) to take on Lander with tip-off set for 1:30 p.m.  The game will be carried by the Nighthawk Sports Network on Glory 1330 AM.