DAHLONEGA – A strong start from the No. 3 seed University of North Georgia (UNG) men's basketball team lead the Nighthawks to a 77-60 win over sixth-seed Georgia College in the opening round of the 2026 Peach Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
The Nighthawks set the tone from the opening tip, starting the game on a 12-2 run, highlighted by seven points from AJ White.
On the other end of the floor, the Nighthawks played some of their best defense of the season, holding the Bobcats to just eight points on 2-11 (18%) shooting from the floor in the first 10 minutes.
North Georgia kept its foot on the gas, extending the lead to as many as 15 after a layup in transition from White with 4:54 remaining in the first half.
The Bobcats were able to put together a handful of trips to the free throw line to chip away at UNG's lead, but the Nighthawks still maintained a 35-25 advantage heading into halftime.
Chase Champion wasted no time getting to work in the second half, opening the period with a pair of layups to extend North Georgia's lead to 12.
Zack Hawkinson and Colin Turner kept the momentum in North Georgia's favor, stringing together nine points, capped off by a three from Hawkinson to maintain a double-digit advantage.
For the final 10 minutes, the Nighthawks kept the Bobcats out of striking distance, never relinquishing more than a nine-point lead for the remainder of the game.
North Georgia capped off the night with a 10-2 run and a balanced offensive attack from Jameel Rideout, Turner and White. The Nighthawks flashed their defensive prowess once again, preventing Georgia College from scoring for the final three and a half minutes of the game.
The Nighthawks (21-6, 14-6 PBC) received double-digit scoring contributions from White, Hawkinson, Turner and Rideout in the win. White led the charge with 28 points, four threes and a perfect 10-10 performance from the free-throw line. Champion also played a big role, scoring six points and grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds.
The Bobcats (16-13, 11-9 PBC) were led by Khalil Green with 16 points.
North Georgia has now won 10 in a row heading into the second round of the PBC Tournament. The Nighthawks will take on the No. 2 seed Columbus State in the semifinals at Finis Horne Arena in Greenwood, S.C., home of the top seed Lander. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 7 at a time that will be announced by the league at a later date.
