Game Preview: The No. 15 University of North Georgia women's basketball team opens the home schedule with the UNG Nighthawk Classic, welcoming Chowan, Tusculum and Georgia College to the UNG Convocation Center this weekend.
Rankings: North Georgia is ranked No. 15 by D2SIDA and No. 23 by the WBCA in each association's preseason poll. First polls of the year will be released next week.
Nighthawks on the Web: Nighthawk fans not able to make it to the UNG Soccer Complex can follow along through streaming on YouTube and Facebook, local cable television (Windstream cable channels 78.12 and HD channel 890), live statistics on UNGAthletics.com and on all social media platforms. Fans can also follow the action through Twitter by following the women's basketball team (@UNGWBB).
Last Week: The Nighthawks swept through the opening weekend of play, beating Emmanuel and Lees-McRae handily in the Peach Belt / Conference Carolinas Challenge.
Scouting Chowan: Chowan will open the 2019-20 campaign at the UNG Nighthawk Classic after being picked seventh in the Conference Carolinas preseason poll. This will be Chowan's first season in the Conference Carolinas after competing in the CIAA. The Hawks will be led by Mariah Coker and Olivia Gaither. North Georgia is 3-0 against Chowan all-time, winning at home in 2010, on the road in 2012 and at Clayton State in 2014.
Scouting Tusculum: Tusculum is 3-0 on the season, beating Belmont Abbey and King in the conference crossover challenge before a 31-point win over Clayton State Tuesday night. Mia Long, Sydney Wilson and Kasey Johnson each average double figures in points early in the season. The Nighthawks lead the series, 2-1, over the Pioneers, but in two games in Dahlonega between the two teams, each team has won one.
Team Stats: North Georgia is second in the nation in defensive boards per game and rebound margin. In addition to those stats, the Nighthawks lead the Peach Belt in three pointers made, both per game and total.
Preseason Accolades: Julianne Sutton was picked as a preseason All-Conference honoree. Sutton was a second-team All-Conference selection last season, and she was also named the 2019 NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player. A PBC Player of the Week last season, she was tied for fifth in the league in rebounding and was second in field goals made, third in field goal percentage and third in blocks. North Georgia was picked win the Peach Belt Conference by the league's head coaches preseason poll. UNG received 10 first-place votes and 120 total points, finishing ahead of Lander in second with 112 points. Clayton State was third in the poll with Columbus State fourth, USC Aiken fifth and Francis Marion sixth.
