DAHLONEGA – The No. 3 seed University of North Georgia (UNG) women's basketball team used a dominant first half and timely late scoring to hold off No. 6 seed Clayton State Lakers 63-59 in the quarterfinals of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday at Lynn Cottrell Arena inside the UNG Convocation Center.

North Georgia (19-12) trailed by eight midway through the opening quarter before closing the frame on a 16-2 run fueled by strong perimeter shooting to take an 18-12 lead.

The Nighthawks extended the advantage in the second quarter. A layup by Kendall Emener pushed the lead into double digits, and with 5:44 remaining before halftime, Caroline Martin drained her second 3-pointer of the night to surpass 2,000 career points and give North Georgia a 29-15 lead.

North Georgia pushed the margin to as many as 19 late in the half and carried a 40-23 lead into the break.

Clayton State (11-17) responded in the third quarter, holding the Nighthawks to just six points while outscoring them 16-6 to trim the deficit to seven entering the final period.

The Lakers continued their rally in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 52 with five minutes remaining. Clayton State took its first lead since the opening quarter with 4:11 left and held a two-point edge with 2:42 to play.

North Georgia answered with a timely 3-pointer from Zaynah Preston to regain the lead, and Averie Jones sealed the win with two free throws in the final seconds.

Preston led the Nighthawks with 15 points and six rebounds. Jones added 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Tianna Dismuke paced Clayton State with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

North Georgia advances to the PBC semifinals on March 7 and will face Georgia College in Columbus, Georgia.