DAHLONEGA – The (RV) University of North Georgia (UNG) men's basketball team used a dominant second-half surge highlighted by a late 17-4 run across a five-minute span to pull away from Francis Marion in a 74-67 non-conference win Wednesday night in Lynn Cottrell Arena at the UNG Convocation Center.
Trailing 27-20 late in the first half, North Georgia (2-0) closed with a 10-0 run that included a pair of steals and conversions in the full court.
After FMU briefly tied the game at 30 to begin the second frame,
Colin Turner ignited the momentum swing with a jumper and two made free throws. From there,
AJ White took over, burying back-to-back threes to push the lead to 40-33 and force a Patriot timeout.
With the contest tied at 60-60, UNG held the Patriots scoreless for over five minutes as the Nighthawks pulled ahead 69-60 with 1:29 left fueled by a Turner putback, a
Jameel Rideout mid-range jumper and White finding
Chase Champion in transition as the Nighthawks built a cushion they would not relinquish.
White finished with a game-high 25 points, four three-pointers and six assists, again anchoring UNG's offense. Rideout added 12 points, while Turner posted 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks despite battling early foul trouble.
AJ Baskerville delivered 10 rebounds off the bench and helped the Nighthawks win key possession battles during the extended run.
North Georgia's defense forced 21 turnovers and turned them into 29 points, many coming during the second-half push.
The win marked head coach
Dan Evans' 100th victory at North Georgia as the seventh year leader carries a 100-66 record at UNG.
Francis Marion (0-3) was led by Kennard Davis' 11 points and 11 assists, with Duncan Alevok and AuMauri Tillman scoring 10 each. FMU stayed within striking distance early in the period but could not recover once North Georgia's run flipped the game's rhythm.
The Nighthawks continue their homestand this weekend with another non-conference matchup on Saturday, Nov. 22 against Southern Wesleyan.
