ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The No. 5 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's basketball team edged out Flagler in an 85-74 overtime victory on the road in St. Augustine, Fla. Saturday afternoon.
The Nighthawks moved to 18-1 overall and 8-1 in Peach Belt Conference play with the 11-point victory. At 18-1, UNG is off to the second-best start in program history. The only year in which the Nighthawks held a record better than 18-1 was in the 2001-02 season when they started the year 22-1. That team finished 32-4 and made it to the NAIA National Quarterfinals.
Saturday's overtime victory served as UNG's first overtime game this season. The Nighthawks out scored the Saints 16-5 in the extra period of play to secure their fifth straight win.
A number of players put on massive performances in the win but it was sophomore forward
Kendall Emener who highlighted the victory with her dominance.
The second-year Nighthawk posted a career-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting while also going 8-for-12 at the free throw line. The outing marked Emener's first 20-point performance this season and the fourth of her career.
Emener was joined by graduate guard
Caroline Martin who had 23 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to post her second consecutive double-double and the ninth of her career. Martin went 7-for-13 from the floor and 8-for-11 at the charity stripe. In the last four games, Martin is averaging 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds. She added four steals against Flagler and is averaging 2.8 steals per game in the last four outings as well.
Also in double figures on Friday were freshman guard
Averie Jones and graduate forward
Emily Trushel as they each totaled 12 points.
Jones was solid on the glass and as a passer as well, contributing seven boards and four assists to go along with her scoring efforts. Trushel also added four rebounds and four assists as well.
While an 11-point win marks UNG's 13th victory by a double-digit margin this season, the score does not indicate how close the game truly was.
Flagler controlled the scoreboard in the first two quarters and led at halftime 32-30. However, UNG opened the third quarter on a 15-4 scoring run to reclaim the lead. Remarkably, five different Nighthawks scored in the scoring outburst. Emener closed the run with a 6-0 individual run of her own.
At the 5:36 mark of the third quarter, UNG led 45-36. By the 7:06 mark in the fourth quarter, the Nighthawks had grown the lead to 11 points, their largest of the night. Yet the Saints would not go quietly as they drilled four three-pointers on their next five possessions to keep the game close.
Even still, UNG led by eight points with 3:23 to play in regulation. Strapped for time, Flagler got aggressive on offense and drew numerous fouls against the Nighthawk defenders. The Saints would score nine straight points at the foul line to come all the way back in the final three minutes and force overtime.
Each team had a chance to win the game on their final possession before an extra five minutes were required to decide the outcome.
First, UNG had the ball with the game tied at 69-69 and 13.2 seconds left to try and win it. Head coach
Buffie Burson drew up a play that led to a contested layup in front of the rim for Trushel. She missed the shot and the ball glanced out of bounds off the Nighthawks with 2.4 seconds remaining, giving Flagler one final chance.
The Saints called timeout and readied a play. However, Trushel redeemed herself with a clutch steal to stifle Flagler's chance and send the game to overtime.
In the OT period, Trushel started the scoring first with a layup on UNG's first possession to put the Nighthawks in front 71-69. Jones then scored the next time down to make it a four-point lead with 4:18 on the clock.
Emener and Martin then caught fire as the duo scored on the next five consecutive possessions for UNG. As Martin knocked down a free throw with 22 seconds left, the victory had already been sealed with an 83-74 lead.
UNG went a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor as a team in overtime while also going 4-for-6 at the free throw line. The Nighthawk defense limited the Saints to a 1-for-9 mark from the floor in the extra period.
Now the Nighthawks will return home on Wednesday, Feb. 5 to face Georgia College from Lynn Cottrell Arena at the UNG Convocation Center at 5:30 p.m.
