11-21-18

DAHLONEGA – Ephraim Tshimanga and Shawn Hopkins each scored 23 points as the University of North Georgia men’s basketball team surpassed the century mark on the way to a 104-80 win over West Georgia Tuesday night in the UNG Convocation Center.

The Wolves led for just 55 total seconds in the game before North Georgia pulled away for good midway through the first half. West Georgia went on a run to start the first half, cutting the 16 point halftime lead down to as few as six, but the Nighthawks answered with an 8-0 run to stretch the lead back out to double digits for good.

NOTES
– Tshimanga’s line was the best of the night for North Georgia, going for 23 points, six boards, six assists and three steals. Zach Cottrell and Lanre Olatunji each contributed 13 with the latter getting a double-double by pulling down 10 rebounds.

– West Georgia’s Marquill Smith had a game-high 24 points, right at his season’s average, but he was held to just three rebounds, five below his average.

– The Nighthawks shot above 50 percent from the floor (53.1 percent) and from three point range (54.2) on the night.

– UNG assisted on 20 of their 34 made buckets.

NEXT UP
North Georgia has some time to recover after a quick start to the season before kicking off Peach Belt play on December 1 at Francis Marion. Tip time is 3:30 p.m.