PREVIEW: Men's Basketball to Battle Francis Marion, UNC Pembroke This Week

12/18/2019 7:59:00 PM | By: UNG Athletic Communications

Week 6
at Francis Marion
Date: December 19
Tipoff: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Florence, S.C.
Arena: Smith University Center
Series: UNG leads, 14-9
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video

at UNC Pembroke
Date: December 21
Tipoff: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Pembroke, N.C.
Arena: Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court
Series: UNG leads, 12-10
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video

Game Preview: The University of North Georgia men's basketball team will battle two Peach Belt foes to close out 2019, starting with a Thursday night showdown at Francis Marion before finishing the calendar year at UNC Pembroke Saturday

Nighthawks on the Web: Links to both games can be found above or on the schedule page. Fans can also follow the action through Twitter by following the men's basketball team (@UNGMBB).

Last Week: The Nighthawks fell in the PBC opener Sunday to USC Aiken, 81-76. The Nighthawks trailed by as many as 15 in the second half before closing it to four with less than a minute to play.

Scouting Francis Marion: Francis Marion is 1-5 on the year with the lone win coming at home to Johnson & Wales, 108-100, back on November 23. Most recently, the Patriots fell to Mount Olive on the road, 77-75, Tuesday afternoon. Five players average double figures this year for FMU, led by Winston Hill's 19.2 points per game. Hill also averages 9.3 rebounds per contest. North Georgia leads the all-time series, 12-9, but have only won two of the last seven. The Patriots hold a 6-5 advantage in Florence.

Scouting UNC Pembroke: UNC Pembroke is 6-3 on the 2019-20 season headed into a Thursday morning contest against Clayton State at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. Saturday afternoon's matchup with UNG will end a five-game homestand for the Braves. UNCP fell 67-64 to Georgia College Sunday afternoon to open Peach Belt play. David Strother leads four Braves in double figures, averaging 14.4 points per outing, while Akia Pruitt is a rebound shy of averaging a double-double, putting up 13.4 points per game to go with his nine boards per game. The Braves hold a slight advantage in the all-time series, 11-10. The Nighthawks have won just two of the last 11, but eight of those nine losses in that time frame have been by single digits.

Stats: North Georgia is second in the Peach Belt in scoring defense, less than a half point per game more than Georgia Southwestern, who leads the league. Ephraim Tshimanga leads the Peach Belt Conference in total steals (31) and steals per game (3.4). He is also eighth in the league in assists (39), eighth in assists per game (4.3) and 15th in assist-turnover ratio (1.4) Josh Cottrell is fourth in the league in three point shooting at 43.4 percent from distance.

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