Box Score FLORENCE, SC – Bolstered by a balanced scoring attack, the University of North Georgia edged Francis Marion University 84-72, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 14) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.
Francis Marion (5-10, 1-6) will entertain Columbus State University as part of an MLK Day doubleheader on Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.
FMU junior forward Judah Alexander led the Patriots with 19 points and six rebounds, while senior 6-8 center Kenneth Jackson registered his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Junior guard Detrek Browning chipped in 15 points and nearly posted only the second-ever triple-double in program history as he tallied nine rebounds and eight assists. Junior guard Josh Council added 10 points off the bench.
Shaquan Cantrell and Denzell Hosch led four North Georgia (9-6, 5-1) players in double digits with 16 points apiece.
With the exception of an early five-point lead (14-9) for FMU, the two teams were separated by only one possession for the first 12 minutes. The Patriots assumed a 26-20 advantage after a fast-break lay-in by Council with 6:25 left before halftime. However, the Nighthawks responded with a 17-4 spurt to close the stanza and led 37-30 at intermission.
North Georgia stretched its margin to 44-34 following a Hosch three-pointer early in the second half. Francis Marion gradually chipped away at the deficit and pulled to within three at 52-49 after a Jackson jumper in the paint.
The Nighthawks again pushed the advantage to double figures at 61-51 with 8:09 on the clock. FMU responded by again cutting the margin to three points on three occasions, the final time at 70-67 after a pair of Council free throws with 2:30 remaining.
North Georgia sealed its win by scoring the game's next six points, four of which came from Ephraim Tshimanga.
Francis Marion shot 43.1 percent from the floor, while the Nighthawks connected on 36.7 percent. North Georgia held an advantage at the foul line by hitting 21-of-25 attempts compared to FMU's 13-of-16. Both teams recorded 15 offensive rebounds, but North Georgia held an 18-4 edge in second-chance points.
1/14/17 4:57 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
U. OF NORTH GEORGIA 84, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 72
U. OF NORTH GEORGIA (9-6 , 5-1 PBC)
Shaquan Cantrell 8-19 0-0 16; Denzell Hosch 4-10 6-7 16; Ephraim Tshimanga
3-10 8-8 14; Ross Morkem 3-8 5-6 11; Roderick English 3-7 0-0 8; Tyler
Dominy 3-5 1-2 7; Duke Robinson 3-9 1-2 7; Sean Brennan 1-2 0-0 3; Carrod
Watson 1-5 0-0 2; Lanre Olatunji 0-2 0-0 0; Ebo Smith 0-2 0-0 0. Totals
29-79 21-25 84.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (5-10, 1-6 PBC)
Judah Alexander 8-13 3-4 19; Detrek Browning 6-15 3-4 15; Kenneth Jackson
7-11 0-0 15; Josh Council 3-7 4-4 10; Brandon Parker 2-8 3-4 8; Daniel
Bridges 1-5 0-0 3; Warren Specht 1-3 0-0 2; John Jenkins 0-0 0-0 0; Jaquez
Smith 0-1 0-0 0; Samson Nnaji 0-0 0-0 0; Nigel Holley 0-2 0-0 0. Totals
28-65 13-16 72.
Halftime: North Georgia 37 Francis Marion 30
3-point goals--U. of North Georgia 5-22 (Roderick English 2-4; Denzell Hosch
2-6; Sean Brennan 1-2; Duke Robinson 0-2; Carrod Watson 0-1; Ebo Smith 0-2;
Ephraim Tshimanga 0-3; Shaquan Cantrell 0-2), Francis Marion University 3-22
(Brandon Parker 1-3; Daniel Bridges 1-4; Kenneth Jackson 1-4; Warren Specht
0-1; Jaquez Smith 0-1; Josh Council 0-3; Detrek Browning 0-5; Judah
Alexander 0-1). Fouled out--U. of North Georgia-None, Francis Marion
University-Daniel Bridges. Rebounds--U. of North Georgia 39 (Ephraim
Tshimanga 9), Francis Marion University 50 (Kenneth Jackson 11). Assists--U.
of North Georgia 19 (Shaquan Cantrell 5), Francis Marion University 19
(Detrek Browning 8). Total fouls--U. of North Georgia 19, Francis Marion
University 19. Technical fouls--Francis Marion TEAM. A-911
Charges drawn: Alexander, Nnaji, Bridges 2, Robinson, English
