Saints' Defense Keys 20-point Win Over Newberry
DAHLONEGA, GA
– The North Georgia men’s basketball team picked up
right where they left off two weeks ago, using pressure defense and
timely scoring to win their second straight, defeating Newberry
College 73-53 Wednesday evening in non-conference action.
North Georgia moved back to the .500 mark for the first time in
nearly a month, improving to 5-5 on the season, while Newberry
drops their fifth road game of the year, falling to 5-7 on the
season.
The Saints jumped off the deck quickly in the early going, using a
three-pointer by Michael Moynihan and a fast break dunk by Brody
Langston in the first minute to take their first lead of the game
at 5-3 at the 19:00 minute mark of the first period.
Newberry held their largest lead of the half with 12:19 remaining,
using back-to-back jumpers from Danny Huffor and Jeremee Davis to
give the scarlet and grey a four-point advantage at 16-12.
The Saints would then go an 8-0 run over the next 70 seconds to
take the lead right back as Carl Taylor knocked down a
three-pointer to start the run, and ended the 8-0 spurt with three
straight free throws to give North Georgia a four-point lead at
20-16 with 11:05 remaining until intermission.
North Georgia would lead by as many as 10 points at three different
times in the first half, a margin that turned out to be the
halftime lead for the Saints.
Newberry came out in the second half and quickly trimmed the
Saints’ lead to just three points with a 13-6 run, before
knotting the score at 45-45 at the 11:22 mark, the only tie of the
second half.
North Georgia responded with a 12-2 run, capped by a layup from
Langston at the 7:20 mark to give the Saints an eight-point lead at
57-49. Chris Faulkner’s Saints continued to extend their lead
over the final three minutes to capture the 20-point victory. The
Saints’ pressure defense down the stretch held Newberry
scoreless over the final 5:56 to give North Georgia their second
straight victory.
Michael Moynihan led all scorers with 17 points, going 5-13 from
the field and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line, while
sharpshooter Carl Taylor finished with 15 points on a 4-7
performance from the field, including a pair of three-pointers.
Keldrick Coleman was the only other North Georgia player in double
figures, coming off the bench to record 13 points and four
rebounds, including three offensive boards, while recording a trio
of steals. Bernard Rimmer came up a point shy of a double-double,
scoring nine points while pulling down a game-high 11 rebound.
Aaron Edwards was one of two Newberry players in double figures,
scoring 12 points on 5-7 shooting from the field, while Huffor
added 10 points in 32 minutes of action.
North Georgia shot 45 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from
behind the arc, and 78.9 percent from the free throw line, while
Newberry was 39.1 percent from the floor, 23.5 percent from long
range, and just 61.9 percent from the charity stripe.
The scarlet and grey committed 20 turnovers while the Saints turned
the ball over just 11 times and recorded 10 steals to just three
for Newberry. Both teams pulled down 23 defensive rebounds, while
North Georgia held a 13-9 advantage on the offensive boards.
The Saints return to action on Monday, January 4, hosting
3rd-ranked Augusta State University for an in-state Peach Belt
Conference showdown and North Georgia’s league opener.
Last season in Memorial Hall, the Saints used a 5-0 run in the
final seconds to force overtime against the Jaguars before Augusta
State, ranked 7th in the country at the team, held on in double
overtime for the 107-100 victory. North Georgia is 2-5 all-time
against the Jaguars.
