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NCAA Regionals 031123
Courtesy: Augusta Athletics
76
Winner North Georgia NG 21-7,13-5 Peach Belt
58
UNC Pembroke UNCP 26-4,18-2 Conference Carolinas
Winner
North Georgia NG
21-7,13-5 Peach Belt
76
Final
58
UNC Pembroke UNCP
26-4,18-2 Conference Carolinas
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Georgia NG 32 44 76
UNC Pembroke UNCP 27 31 58

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Todd Anderson, Associate AD/Strategic Initiatives

North Georgia Upsets No. 8 Men’s Basketball In NCAA Opening Round

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Seventh-seeded North Georgia limited the 8th-ranked and second-seeded UNC Pembroke men's basketball team to just a 41-percent shooting effort and used a 13-4 run midway through the first half to pull away for good as the Nighthawks registered a 76-58 upset win over the Braves on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Southeast Regional.
 
It was the third-loss in the last four outings for the Braves (26-4) who closed out the 2022-23 campaign with their second-best record in program history. The result snapped a three-game skid for North Georgia (21-7) who will face third-seeded Lincoln Memorial in Sunday's semifinal round.
 
THE BASICS
SCORE: North Georgia 76, UNC Pembroke 58
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 26-4; North Georgia 21-7
LOCATION: Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fieldhouse)
HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST HALF
The opening stanza featured seven lead changes and a trio of tie scores, but the Nighthawks would inevitably take a 32-27 advantage into the intermission. The Braves led 15-11 after K.J. Walker's running layup at the 9:13 mark, but Giancarlo Bastianoni's jumper on the other end of the court sparked an 11-4 run for the Nighthawks that swung the momentum. The Braves made it a one-possession game, 24-22, following a layup from Amare Miller with 3:28 to play, but North Georgia scored the next four points to keep a stranglehold on the lead.
2ND HALF
North Georgia shot nearly 58 percent from the field in the second half, but it was a 13-4 run midway through the stanza that fueled the final outcome. JaJuan Carr's layup at the 12:41 mark pulled the Black & Gold to within four, 48-44, but a 3-pointer from A.J. White 26 seconds later sparked a game-deciding run that eventually had the Nighthawks out in front by 13 points, 61-48, with just more than eight minutes remaining.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
+ Sophomore Nygell Verdier scored 10 of his team-high 16 points in the first half, and finished his Saturday outing with a 6-for-10 showing from the field, including a trio of 3-pointers. He also turned in two rebounds and a pair of assists.
+ Sophomore JaJuan Carr added 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting, while also tallying three rebounds and two assists.
+ Sophomore Bradlee Haskell chipped in 10 points – all of which came in the second half – while also posting three rebounds and an assist.
NOTABLES
+ UNCP concludes its 2022-23 campaign with a 26-4 (.866) mark – the second-best record in program history in terms of winning percentage. Last year's squad finished with an .871 (27-4) winning percentage.
+ The Braves were out-rebounded 39-30 in Saturday's outing which snapped a 15-game streak in which the club had won the rebounding battle. The 9-board edge by North Georgia is the most lopsided loss in the rebounding column for the Black & Gold since falling on the wrong end of a 32-19 rebounding disparity against Tusculum on Nov. 16, 2019.
+ UNCP is set to return all five starters and six other letterwinners for the 2023-24 season. Transfers Qon Murphy and K.J. Walker will be the only departures from this year's club.
UP NEXT
Season complete.
STAY CONNECTED
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BACK THE BRAVES
Fans can help support the UNC Pembroke Men's Basketball program by joining the Braves Club. To find out more information about the Braves Club, visit UNCPBraves.com/BravesClub or email braves.club@uncp.edu.
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