DAHLONEGA - Trailing by 16 points with 9:45 left, the University of North Georgia men's basketball team battled back to six points with less than a minute left, but Francis Marion pulled away late to take a 88-76 win Saturday afternoon in Memorial Hall.

The Patriots jumped out to an early 12-6 lead and then went on a 23-11 run to extend their lead to 13 points late in the first half. North Georgia battled back but could not overcome the deficit despite Ephraim Tshimanga's game-high 24 points.

NOTES
- Tshimanga missed just one shot in the game, shooting 8-for-9 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

- Shaquan Cantrell, who was honored pregame for surpassing the NCAA-era points record last week, added 18 points and finished one rebound short of a double-double.

- UNG still holds an 11-6 lead in the all-time series against FMU.

NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will travel to Starkville, Mississippi, to take on SEC opponent Mississippi State on Saturday, December 9. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network +.