DAHLONEGA - A second-half surge fueled by a big night from AJ White lifted the University of North Georgia (UNG) men's basketball team to an 84-78 comeback victory over Clayton State in Peach Belt Conference action Monday night at Lynn Cottrell Arena inside the UNG Convocation Center.

White poured in a game-high 35 points as the Nighthawks erased a double-digit deficit and took the lead for good in the final minutes. North Georgia trailed by as many as 14 late in the first half before closing the gap to 37-27 at the break.

The two teams traded baskets early before North Georgia held a slim one-point advantage midway through the opening period. Clayton State responded with a 14-3 run to build a double-digit lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the half and carried momentum into the locker room.

North Georgia came out of halftime with an 18-4 run to knot the score at 45 with 14:09 left in the game. The Lakers answered with another spurt to regain a 10-point cushion with 8:16 to play, but the Nighthawks took control down the stretch.

Using points in the paint and timely trips to the free-throw line, North Georgia pulled ahead in the final minutes, taking the lead for good with 2:15 remaining. The Nighthawks finished 35-of-43 from the charity stripe, capitalizing as four Clayton State players fouled out.

White shot 10-of-18 from the field and 13-of-15 at the free-throw line to lead the offense.

With the win, North Georgia improved to 12-6 overall and 6-6 in conference play.

"I was really proud of our guys' ability to keep pressing on," head coach Dan Evans said. "We probably did not play great at any point today, but I was really proud of our guys for continuing to compete."

Jojo Bell led Clayton State (2-19, 1-12 PBC) with 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Nighthawks return to action Wednesday night with a home matchup against USC Aiken at Lynn Cottrell Arena inside the UNG Convocation Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.