The Lady Nighthawks are again victorious as they look to build on their success in the NCAA tournament.
The University of North Georgia (UNG) women’s basketball team secured the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) tournament championship on Sunday, March 9, as they capped off a thrilling victory in an 81-72 win over Georgia Southwestern University.
Just hours later, the Nighthawks were named the No. 1 seed and will host the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional from March 14-17 at the Convocation Center in Dahlonega.
“Hosting is a big deal. It means we navigated through a tough strength of schedule and had success,” head coach Buffie Burson said. “We believe we have a beautiful venue that teams will enjoy playing in, but most importantly it’s our home, where our fans are very passionate and loyal.”
The Nighthawks (29-2) will tip off their NCAA tournament journey at 5 p.m. on March 14, facing No. 8 seed UNC Pembroke.
Tickets for the Southeast Regional are available online for $10, with discounted tickets of $7 for senior citizens (65+) and military members.
The first 500 students, faculty and staff will receive free admission on behalf of the North Georgia Athletic Fund Board of Directors, using their personalized UNG Connect QR code in the Campus Groups app. Children 10 and under also get in free.
If UNG wins the opening game, they will face the winner of the match-up between No. 4 seed Francis Marion University and No. 5 seed Columbus State University at 7:30 p.m. on March 15. Other teams in the regional include No. 2 seed Coker University, No. 3 seed Anderson University, No. 6 seed Carson-Newman University, and No. 7 seed Belmont Abbey College.
“What makes our team dangerous is we have so many people who are capable of scoring big numbers. You can’t just try to lock down one player in order to beat us,” senior guard Ansley Hall said. “We have so much talent and heart on this team that if someone is off that day, there’s somebody else stepping up to make an impact in the game.”
Graduate guard Caroline Martin reflected the team’s focus and determination, adding, “We approach every game, practice and shootaround with a mindset to give 110%, knowing that every moment on the court counts.”
“We understand that March is our last opportunity to play together as a team, and that fuels us to push beyond our limits,” she said. “With this in mind, we are more focused than ever, leaving everything on the floor and giving our all on every play. We’re prepared to give everything we’ve got to finish strong, knowing that this is the moment we’ve worked for all season.”
The winner of the March 17 Southeast Regional championship will advance to the NCAA Elite Eight, set for March 24-28 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Our team has remained unbothered by distractions, adversity and, most importantly, success throughout the entire season,” Burson said. “I think we are having fun, which is important. However, knowing what we want and being willing to put in the work for it consistently has shown to be more important in our success.”
In their PBC championship victory, graduate forward Emily Trushel led the Nighthawks with 26 points and six rebounds. Freshman guard Averie Jones added 20 points and four rebounds, while Hall contributed 12 points and nine assists.
Trushel highlighted the team’s offensive and defensive cohesion following the win.
“Offensively and defensively, when we play together, great things happen. We swing the ball to the open girl, and we knock down shots,” Trushel said. “On the other end, when we move as a unit on defense and have each other’s backs, it leads to a lot of stops and transition opportunities. I think our chemistry has just continued to grow more and more throughout this whole season.”
The Nighthawks’ championship win came after a record-breaking 63-22 semifinal victory over Georgia College & State University on March 8, setting a PBC tournament record for fewest points allowed. The team also secured a 79-71 victory over Clayton State University in the tournament opener on March 5.
Honors rolled in for UNG after the tournament, with Martin named PBC Player of the Year and Burson earning PBC Coach of the Year. Trushel joined Martin on the All-PBC first team, while Hall earned third-team All-PBC honors. Trushel, Martin and Jones were also selected for the PBC All-Tournament Team.
The Nighthawks now look to carry their momentum into the NCAA tournament as they aim to continue their championship pursuit in front of their home crowd.
