JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The No. 11 University of North Georgia (UNG) men's basketball team used a balanced offensive effort and a series of timely second half stops to remain unbeaten, grinding out a 65- 60 road victory at Edward Waters on Saturday afternoon inside the Adams-Jenkins Community Sports & Music Complex. The win is the sixth straight to open the season and closes the Nighthawks' non-conference schedule.
Colin Turner powered UNG with a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds, going 6-for-11 from the field and 8-for-12 at the free-throw line.
Chase Champion nearly posted a double-double with 11 points and nine boards, while
AJ White added 14 points.
North Georgia led 34-30 at halftime after a back-and-forth opening period that featured nine ties and 10 lead changes. Turner scored 10 of his points in the first half, and a late basket from
AJ Baskerville helped UNG take a two-possession edge into the break.
The Nighthawks stretched the margin to six early in the second half when Turner knocked down four straight free throws, but Edward Waters (4-2) continued to counter on the interior behind Amari Floyd and Keshawn Evans. The Tigers pulled within 40–35 and later trimmed it to 44-42 with just under 13 minutes to play.
UNG responded with one of its most important sequences of the game as Champion and
Jameel Rideout each converted in the paint before Turner added another basket, restoring a two-possession lead. Defensively, the Nighthawks held Edward Waters without a field goal for a three-minute stretch as the game moved into the closing minutes.
Trailing 60-59 with less than a minute to play, North Georgia grabbed the lead for good courtesy of a Baskerville bucket, and closed the game with a combined four free throws from Champion and
Zack Hawkinson.
North Georgia won the rebounding battle 38-28 and forced 11 turnovers converting them into 13 points.
Evans paced Edward Waters with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Floyd added 14.
North Georgia kicks off its Peach Belt Conference schedule on Saturday, Dec. 6 with an 8:00 p.m. tip off at Clayton State.
