DAHLONEGA, GEORGIA – The University of South Carolina Beaufort men's basketball team was on the road Saturday afternoon for a matchup against North Georgia Nighthawks. The Nighthawks sealed an 89–78 win over USCB after outscoring the Sand Sharks by nine in the second half to split the season series.
USCB is now 19–9 overall with a 13–7 Peach Belt Conference record.
The Sand Sharks were led in scoring by Hudson Norton with 18 points, one of five players in double figures. Evan Kilminster added 12 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Dominic Eason and Ismail Rashid each scored 11 points, while Shea Champine finished with 10.
Kevaughn Price opened the scoring for the Sand Sharks with a basket on the first possession to give USCB an early 2–0 lead. Kilminster knocked down the team's first three-pointer to put the Sand Sharks ahead 5–4. North Georgia responded with an 8–0 run to take a 16–7 advantage before a Dylan Lewis three-pointer, assisted by Kilminster, cut the deficit to 16–10.
North Georgia maintained a six-point lead at 22–16 before Norton hit a three-pointer. A few possessions later, Norton connected on his second three of the half to tie the game at 24–24. The teams traded baskets, and Champine tied the game at 30–30 for his sixth point of the half. Eason then drained a three-pointer to give the Sand Sharks a 33–30 lead.
USCB held a slight 38–36 advantage before a Nighthawks run tied the game. With two minutes remaining in the half, the score was knotted at 40–40. North Georgia built a 45–41 lead, but Kilminster hit a layup in the closing seconds to send USCB into halftime trailing 45–43.
North Georgia opened the second half with a dunk, but back-to-back three-pointers from Kilminster and Price gave the Sand Sharks a 49–47 lead. The Nighthawks regained the advantage at 56–53 with 16 minutes remaining. USCB pulled within two at 57–55 following a Qurahn Anderson basket, but North Georgia used a 12–4 run to extend its lead to 69–59 with eight minutes left.
The Nighthawks' largest lead at that point late in the half reached 12 points on two occasions and eventually grew to 13. The Sand Sharks trimmed the deficit to eight twice, first on a Champine layup and later on a Rashid layup to make it 81–73 with 2:47 remaining.
North Georgia answered each time, pushing the lead back to double digits. The Nighthawks closed out the 89–78 victory after Norton scored the final points of the game.
USCB will return home Wednesday evening to host a first round game of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament at 7:30 p.m., following the conclusion of the women's basketball game.
