AIKEN, S.C. — The No. 20 University of North Georgia men's basketball team did something Saturday no other Nighthawk men's basketball team has done before. In a 70-60 win over 4-seed Flagler, the Nighthawk men's basketball team secured its first Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship in program history.
It's been a long season so far for head coach Dan Evans and his entire team. A year that's seen its share of big wins and close losses. A revolving door of characters have come and gone from game to game. But in the 31st game of the year, none of that mattered. The hard work, long nights, bumps, bruises, sweat and tears all paid off when sophomore point guard AJ White dribbled out the clock as the Nighthawk crowd erupted.
As the clock dwindled, Evans bounced to the end of the bench and towards the stands. Reaching for the first row of seats, he embraced his wife Amy and his two children Maddie and TR. As he turned back to his players, the final horn sounded and the celebration began.
Junior forward and PBC Tournament Most Valuable Player Frank Champion hugged a number of teammates, including his brother, sophomore Chase Champion.
Champion earned MVP honors after averaging 24.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and shooting 66.6 percent from the floor. In the quarterfinals, Champion set a PBC Tournament single game record by making 19 free throws in the win over Georgia Southwestern.
On Saturday, he got off to a slow start. With just eight points and one rebound at halftime, Champion led a Nighthawk team that struggled to pull away from the Saints.
Flagler found success on the glass in the first half by out rebounding UNG 21-17. Junior guard Destin Clark unloaded for 12 first half points which included a pair of triples. His scoring helped keep Flagler in the game as the Nighthawks only led 30-29 at the break.
In the second half, junior forward Giancarlo Bastianoni came up clutch on multiple possessions for UNG. His nine second half points helped him to a 13-point day in which he went 4-for-7 from the floor.
A slew of other Nighthawks contributed down the stretch to propel their team to victory. Sophomore guard Cayden Charles, who was named to the PBC All Tournament Team for his efforts over the weekend, had 10 points and seven rebounds in the win.
However, Charles' most impactful moments came on the defensive side of the ball. In the championship game, he swatted a career-high five blocks and plucked two steals for UNG. Over the three games in the tournament, Charles averaged 2.3 blocks and 2.0 steals as he came up clutch numerous times on defense.
It was also a big night for senior guard Hunter Shedenhelm. He was the only Nighthawk to knock down multiple threes in the game, going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc on his way to nine points while adding four rebounds.
Sophomore center Colin Turner has elevated his play to new heights in recent weeks. On Saturday, he had eight points, five rebounds and two blocks, providing energy down low with a ferocious, two-handed, put back dunk.
As UNG controlled the tempo and scoreboard in the second half, the Saints made a comeback bid in the final minutes. After trailing by as many as nine points in the second half, a jumper from junior guard Jax Bouknight made it a 61-57 game with 3:35 remaining.
From that point forward, the Nighthawks out scored Flagler 9-3 to secure the win. Bastianoni drilled a three on the other end to push the lead back to seven. Champion grabbed a rebound at one basket and laid the ball up at the other to extend the advantage to nine. In the final minutes, White drilled three free throws to lead by double digits with only 1:24 to go.
The Saints weren't able to fight their way back and, with 15 seconds left, White received the inbounds and dribbled up the floor as UNG had secured its first PBC Tournament win in program history.
With all the smiles, laughs and hugs shared after the win, there's been one saying that every member of the program has continued to mutter.
"We're not done yet." With the hopes of hosting the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional at the UNG Convocation Center, the Nighthawks are proud to be PBC Champions, but still have their sights set on a larger prize.
The tournament begins Saturday, Mar. 16. The selection show announcement of regional host sites and start times takes place tomorrow, Sunday, Mar. 10 at 11 p.m.
