DAHLONEGA – 43 second-half points from the University of North Georgia (UNG) men's basketball team sealed a 77-57 win over Flagler on Saturday night at Lynn Cottrell Arena inside the UNG Convocation Center.
The Nighthawks set the tone in the first 10 minutes with timely three-point shooting, specifically from JoJo Peterson. The senior guard knocked down a pair of threes in the opening minutes to help North Georgia build its advantage over the Saints.
A dunk from Zack Hawkinson extended the Nighthawks' lead to 14 before the under-eight media timeout. The Saints started to find a rhythm as they mounted a 16-2 run to tie things up 1:10 left in the first half. The Nighthawks were able to tack on a pair of free throws from AJ White and a layup in the final-few seconds from Stephen Akwiwu to retake the lead 34-30 heading into halftime.
North Georgia came out of the locker room and got right back to work, putting together a 7-0 to regain momentum and extend its lead back to double-digits.
Flagler stayed on UNG's heels, as a layup from Jordan Smith brought the Saints within two with just over 10 minutes to go.
After the Saints made it a one-score game, North Georgia's offense kicked into high gear. The Nighthawks poured in 30 points in the final 10 minutes, shooting 9-15 (60%) from the floor while making eight-consecutive free throws during that stretch.
On the defensive end, North Georgia held the Saints to just 12 more points in the last 10 minutes. A three from Peterson in the final minute locked in the 20-point win for North Georgia.
White led the charge for the Nighthawks with 22 points and six assists while shooting a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line. The senior guard has scored 20 or more points in the last five games.
Peterson and Jameel Rideout followed White with 12 points each. Peterson also knocked down a career-high four three-pointers in the win.
With their seventh-straight win, the Nighthawks improve to 18-6 overall and 12-6 in Peach Belt Conference (PBC) play.
The Saints (15-11, 9-9 PBC) were led by Rahdir Hicks and Tymoteusz Pszczola with 11 points each.
The Nighthawks go back on the road for the final time this regular season to take on Augusta on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
