Game Preview: The No. 9 University of North Georgia women's basketball team hits the road for the first of the final two non-conference games of the season as they take on Belmont Abbey Saturday afternoon
Rankings: North Georgia is ranked No. 9 by D2SIDA and No. 11 by the WBCA in each association's latest poll of the season. The Nighthawks are ranked first in the D2SIDA regional poll.
Nighthawks on the Web: Links, courtesy of Belmont Abbey, can be found above. Fans can also follow the action through Twitter by following the women's basketball team (@UNGWBB).
Last Week: The Nighthawks remained unbeated by knocking off both Life and No. 20 Carson-Newman last weekend in the North Georgia Classic
Scouting Belmont Abbey: Belmont Abbey is 4-1 on the year having won each of its last four after a nine-point loss at the beginning of the season to Tusculum. Most recently, the Crusaders beat Limestone in overtime on the day before Thanksgiving. This will be the third game in a four-game homestand for BAC. Four players average double figures for Belmont Abbey, including a team-high 16.2 points per contest to go with eight boards per game from junior Allie Downing. All four players that average more than 10 points per game are juniors. This will be the first meeting between the Nighthawks and Crusaders.
Team Stats: The Nighthawks lead the Peach Belt Conference in assists, blocked shots, defensive rebounds per game, rebound margin, rebounds, three point defense and threes made. North Georgia is second in the nation in defensive boards per contest, fifth in rebound margin, sixth in rebounds per game and ninth in three point defense. UNG is also one of just 31 teams in the nation still unbeaten.
Individual Stats: Abbie Franklin is in the top four of the conference in all three point shooting categories. She also ranks sixth in the legue in defensive rebounds per game, seventh in assists and eighth in assist-turnover ratio. Kara Groover is second in the league in rebounds, third in assists and seventh in boards per contest. Julianne Sutton is the Peach Belt's third best scorer at 16.8 points per game and the player who has made the most free throws so far. Kyra Davis is third in blocks and fifth in blocks ber game.
Chick-Fil-A Nighthawk of the Week: Julianne Sutton has been named the Chick-Fil-A Nighthawk of the Week for November 25 as announced by the athletic department on Monday. Sutton led the then-No. 11 Nighthawks to a 2-0 weekend at the North Georgia Classic, starting with a 20-point and seven rebound effort in a win over Life. She followed that up with a 17-point, six rebound and four assist performance in a five-point victory over No. 20 Carson-Newman.
