YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Young Harris' 29-10 run over the final eight minutes of the first half proved to be too much for the University of North Georgia men's basketball team to overcome on an evening where the Nighthawks were looking to make history, falling to the Mountain Lions, 95-78. North Georgia finishes the regular season at 15-13 with an 11-8 mark in the Peach Belt Conference. UNG finishes in an five-way tie for first place in the Western Division and will represent the division at the third-seeded team in the PBC Tournament.
Despite the loss, the Nighthawks clinched a share of the PBC West Division title. The west ended in a five-way tie with Columbus State, Clayton State, Montevallo and Young Harris all finishing the year with 11-8 conference marks.
The two rivals went back-and-forth in the opening 12 minutes of the ballgame before Young Harris went on the 29-10 run over the last eight minutes of the half to take a commanding 19-point advantage into the halftime break. The Nighthawks improved their play in the second half outscoring YHC, 44-42, but could never piece together a sustained run to cut into the Mountain Lion lead.
NOTES
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Denzell Hosch's 18 points led the UNG effort.
Lanre Olatunji pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
- The Nighthawks struggled at the free throw line, converting on just 55.6 percent of their 27 shots from the charity stripe on the night.
- Marcellus Roberts led YHC with a double-double of a game-high 21 points and 12 rebounds.
- Although it is shared with four other teams, the first place finish in the Western Division is the first in the history of the men's basketball program since joining the PBC in the 2005-2006 season. UNG had not finished any higher than third in the division before this year.
- The Battle of Blood Mountain point for men's basketball is split as both teams won their respective home game.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will now travel to East Division second-seeded UNC Pembroke for the quarterfinal round of the 2017 Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Saturday. The offiical game is set for 3:30 p.m. on UNCP's Lumbee Guarantee Bank Court.
