DAHLONEGA - Trailing 73-53 with 11:07 to play, the University of North Georgia men's basketball team mounted a furious comeback by going on a 21-3 run, but No. 5 USC Aiken was able to hold on down the stretch to defeat the Nighthawks, 96-88, Saturday afternoon.
The Nighthawks hung with USC Aiken after an initial surge where the Pacers hit their first six shots to take a 16-4 lead. UNG was down 10 at the break before USCA made it a 20-point game at 73-53. After
Tyler Dean hit a free throw to make the score 76-74, USC Aiken pushed the lead back out to nine and UNG could not get back to a one possession game.
NOTES
- Five Nighthawks finished in double figures, led by
Ephraim Tshimanga's 16 points.
Zez Steeple added 15 points, while
Shawn Hopkins and
Zach Cottrell each had 14.
Carrod Watson was the top scorer off the bench with 10 points and seven rebounds.
- USC Aiken was 20-for-40 from behind the three-point arc, breaking the USCA record for threes in a single game.
- UNG shot over 47 percent from the field and made one more shot from the floor than the Pacers.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will start a three-game road trip at Young Harris on Wednesday night in the Battle of Blood Mountain. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
