DAHLONEGA – Avenging a one-point loss on the road in the first matchup between the two programs this season, the No. 24 University of North Georgia men's basketball team pulled out a 63-62 victory over Lander (17-7. 9-5 PBC) in Peach Belt Conference action in Lynn Cottrell Arena at the UNG Convocation Center.
Frank Champion finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, making eight of his ten attempts from the free throw line and six of ten from the field.
AJ White helped carry the offensive load, finishing with 17 points while making six of his 12 attempts.
Hunter Shedenhelm finished among double-digit scorers with 10 points, adding five rebounds, one block and one steal.
Cayden Charles was a thorn in the side of the opposing offense, coming away with a career-high four steals in the game.
Key Moments
- Both sides battled back and forth throughout the first half, with UNG reaching its largest lead of the game (8) with 5:31 remaining until halftime.
- A 7-1 Lander run at the 3:09 mark cut the lead to two before North Georgia could add one more to their lead as UNG held the 33-30 advantage at the break.
- UNG (18-4, 11-3 PBC) hit a 7-0 run ending with 10:52 to go to take a 47-41 lead. Lander would fight back, taking the lead with 7:36 remaining.
- Champion scored five straight points in the final 1:30 of the second half. UNG trailed by one with nine seconds remaining before White drew a foul and sunk both free throws at the line to take a one-point lead.
- Jacob Cooper (LU) would hit the front rim on his last-second shot at the buzzer, and North Georgia would hold on for the victory.
Next Up
The Nighthawks move on to a road battle versus Young Harris (18-5, 9-5 PBC) on Wednesday (Feb. 15) for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
