DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) men's basketball team fell in its first Peach Belt Conference loss of the season in a tough 65-62 defeat against No. 25 Columbus State (CSU) Monday night.

The Nighthawks played from behind most of the night, trailing for almost the entirety of the first half by as many as nine points on three separate occasions. Despite the difficult start, UNG caught fire before halftime and worked the game to a one-point deficit as it headed into the locker room.

The first half was highlighted by the first ever appearance in a Nighthawk uniform from junior guard JoJo Peterson. The Johns Creek, Ga. native transferred to UNG from NCAA Division I Purdue-Fort Wayne two seasons ago. Peterson's season ended before it started last year due to a season-ending leg injury in the preseason. 

With much excitement budding around his return in the 2024-25 campaign, his debut was delayed due to another preseason injury. Monday marked Peterson's first appearance on a collegiate basketball court in 685 days since his last game with the Mastodons. 

Peterson entered the game Monday night to the sound of a loud applause from the home crowd that was excited to finally see the talented 6-foot-6 guard in a blue and white uniform. Peterson played 15 minutes against the Cougars, knocking down his first field goal as a Nighthawk while grabbing a pair of rebounds and dishing a nifty assist as well.

In the second half, the Nighthawks grabbed their first lead of the game at 30-29 with 18:07 left in the game. CSU quickly answered however with a 7-0 run to jump back in front by six points.

With 8:03 remaining, the Cougars grabbed their largest lead of the night, stretching the game to a 10-point advantage. Junior forward Chris Cole quickly responded with a three-pointer to cut it to a seven-point margin. 

CSU answered with a three of its own on the other end before junior guard Cayden Charles canned a three as well to get it back to a seven-point game at 54-47 with 6:55 to play. Then junior guard AJ white caught fire.

After getting a stop, White came down and scored a tough layup while drawing a foul. He converted the free throw to complete the three-point play the old fashioned way. Another defensive stop put the ball in White's hands again. Trailing by four he pushed the ball up the floor, got into the lane and converted on a jumper. Suddenly it was just a two-point ball game. 

As UNG desperately tried to take the lead down the stretch, a big dunk from junior center Colin Turner injected momentum and energy into the UNG Convocation Center. The slam made it 61-59 CSU with 2:03 to go. 

The Cougars turned it over on the next possession, giving the Nighthawks a chance to tie or take the lead. Unfortunately for UNG, White missed the go-ahead three-point attempt that would've likely changed the fate of the game. The Nighthawks were forced to foul and CSU did not miss on its next four free throws. 

Freshman forward Zack Hawkinson would knock down a three-pointer with three seconds left to make it a 65-62 game, but it would ultimately not be enough to lift UNG to a win.

The Nighthawks will now quickly get ready for a home date with Lander. UNG welcomes the Bearcats to Lynn Cottrell Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. It will be the first matchup between the two teams since the legendary 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional Championship that UNG won 70-67 last season.