DAHLONEGA – The No. 5 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's basketball team used a dominant fourth quarter to take down USC Aiken at Lynn Cottrell Arena at the UNG Convocation Center 82-61 Wednesday evening.
The Nighthawks (17-1, 6-1 Peach Belt) have now tied their win total from a season are 17-1 through the first 18 games of the season for the second time in the last four years.
UNG also started the 2021-22 season 17-1 and finished that year 29-4 after making it all the way to the NCAA Final Four.
The 21-point victory is the sixth win this season by 20 or more points for the Nighthawks.
UNG was led in scoring by graduate forward
Emily Trushel with 21 points. Trushel went 9-for-13 from the floor and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc while adding five rebounds and five assists. She was the leader in a four-player pack of double-digit scorers for the Nighthawks.
Senior guard
Ansley Hall had another big scoring night against the Pacers with 18 points on a very efficient shooting night. The point guard went 5-for-8 from the floor, 3-for-3 from downtown and 5-for-5 at the free throw line. Hall tied Trushel with a team-high five assists and also collected three steals defensively.
Graduate guard
Caroline Martin was all over the floor as she grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds to go along with 16 points for her first double-double of the season. In her four-year playing career, Martin has recorded eight double-doubles.
Finally, it was sophomore forward
Kendall Emener with 12 points and four rebounds as UNG's final scorer in double figures. Emener utilized a mismatch down low time and again as she went 6-for-9 from the floor in her sixth double-digit scoring effort of the season.
As a team, the Nighthawks were simply too tough inside for the Pacers. UNG out-scored its opponent 44-24 on paint points Wednesday night. The Nighthawks also grabbed 19 offensive rebounds which was their second-most in a game this season.
At halftime, UNG was in front 39-25 and comfortably in control of the contest.
Yet, a common problem reared its ugly head in the third quarter as USC Aiken slowly made it closer. After trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half, the Pacers trimmed the deficit all the way down to just seven 6:19 to play in the third quarter.
However, immediately after USC Aiken cut the lead to seven, UNG went on a 16-5 scoring run to close the quarter and lead by 18 points at 63-45.
In the fourth, the staunch Nighthawk defense came up big and did not allow a made basket from the Pacers until the 6:03 mark. By then UNG was up 73-47 and had the victory in hand.
Now the team prepares for the back half of conference play as UNG will head on the road to face Flagler this Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1:30 p.m.
