DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia men's basketball team rallied from behind to take down Flagler 84-77 in the team's Peach Belt Conference home opener at Lynn Cottrell Arena at the UNG Convocation Center Saturday evening.

The Nighthawks trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half as the Saints blitzed UNG out of the gates jumping to a 19-5 lead in the first seven minutes. 

Flagler made its first five shots from the floor as a team to quickly jump out to a 14-3 advantage. Things got worse from there when guard Jax Bouknight made a layup and his fourth three-pointer of the game two possessions later. 

Bouknight ended the half with 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting with a 4-for-5 mark from downtown. 

Trailing 28-18 with 7:46 to play in the half, UNG finally kicked into gear. 

Junior forward Colin Turner converted on a paint jumper. Then freshman forward Zack Hawkinson hit a layup in transition after a fantastic steal from sophomore guard Chase Champion. The Nighthawks were suddenly within six points. A few minutes later, junior forward Chris Cole canned a triple to make it a three-point game. Two possessions after that, Champion made a tough layup and Flagler's lead was suddenly just one point. 

On the next possession, junior guard AJ White snared a defensive rebound and pushed the pace up the floor. White went coast-to-coast to convert a layup and give UNG its first lead of the game at 29-28. The Nighthawks used an 11-0 run over five minutes to come all the way back before halftime. 

UNG would take a 33-32 lead into the locker room after 20 minutes. 

In the second half, it was a back-and-forth bout between two heavyweights. Each team landed haymakers, neither hit the canvas. 

In the opening 12 minutes of the second half, the game had four lead changes and was brought to a tie 16 times. In a remarkable 90 second stretch in the second half, the Saints and Nighthawks exchanged three-pointers back-and-forth on four consecutive possessions. 

With 7:46 to play in the game, Flagler took a 62-60 lead after a pair of free throws. Turner drew contact and converted on two foul shots of his own on the other end to tie it. A few possessions later, UNG would force Bouknight's fifth turnover of the contest. Seconds later, senior guard Hunter Shedenhelm cashed in a three-pointer to cap off a quick 7-0 run for the Nighthawks, giving them a 67-62 lead. 

Shedenhelm's three extended UNG's lead after it secured the advantage just 30 seconds prior with 6:53 remaining. The Nighthawks would not give the lead back for the rest of the game. 

With 1:37 to go and a 76-71 lead, White hit a miraculous three that served as the nail in the coffin. On the right wing, the Memphis, Tenn. native picked up his dribble late in the shot clock. Against hounding defense from Flagler's Mason Manning, White found himself in trouble. He pivoted and surveyed his options numerous times but nothing was open. As the shot clock continued to fall, White was forced to put up a shot. He leaned to his right, leapt and heaved a three-pointer that was nothing more than a prayer. Swish. White fell into his bench as the crowd roared in applause of the spectacle that just took place. 

UNG would get another key stop on defense on the next possession, cementing the win as it eventually held out in the final 40 seconds for the seven-point victory. 

White's three-pointer was one of a number of tremendous players from the Nighthawks' scoring leader. He finished the night with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

Turner tied White with 19 points to lead the scoring for UNG Saturday. He went 7-for-9 from the floor while adding nine rebounds. 

Shedenhelm's day was not only highlighted by his key three-pointer but his three steals as well. He led the way defensively in a game in which the Nighthawks snagged 10 steals against the Saints, the second-most in a game this season. Conversely, UNG held onto the ball Saturday which was a key factor in the comeback effort. The Nighthawks committed a season-low six turnovers in the win. It's the second fewest in a game since head coach Dan Evans took over the program in 2019. 

UNG not only starts the new year with a conference win, but it snaps a three-game losing skid in the process. At 10-4 and 2-0 in league play, the Nighthawks are back on track in the win column. They will look to ride the momentum to a road win on Wednesday as UNG heads to Milledgeville, Ga. to take on Georgia College. Tip off against the Bobcats on Jan. 8 is set for 7:30 p.m.