North Georgia gets 2 point blank.

Staff report

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — North Georgia, a practitioner of old-school basketball, declined 3-point attempts, got the ball inside and pounded Catawba 86-70 on Sunday.

The victory by the top-seeded Nighthawks ended a banner season for fourth-seeded Catawba. The Indians shared the South Atlantic Conference regular-season championship, won the conference tournament and won a Saturday regional quarterfinal against UNC Pembroke with an amazing comeback.

Catawba was ranked 25th in the most recent poll, but couldn’t stop 14th-ranked North Georgia, which had a major home-court advantage in Lynn Cottrell Arena in the UNG Convocation Center.

Catawba (23-6) shot 41.9 percent from the field, which will win some nights, but was only 5-for-25 on 3-pointers. Pressing full court, the Indians won the turnover battle 19-14 but they got swamped 39-23 on the glass.

Ranked 14th nationally. North Georgia (27-6) only took nine 3-pointers and shot 59.2 percent for the game, mostly from in the paint. North Georgia got to the foul line frequently and made 24 of 32 attempts.

Catawba led late in the first half, but North Georgia closed the half with a 12-3 run for a 41-35 halftime lead.

North Georgia maintained the lead in the second half and gradually pulled away. The Nighthawks led by as many as 17 points.

Peyton Gerald (13), Kris Robinson (12) and DeAngelo Epps (10) scored in double figures for the Indians, but Javeon Jones, who had 25 points on Saturday, was held to nine.

AJ White and Cayden Charles scored 22 apiece for North Georgia.

North Georgia will take on sixth-seeded Lander, another Peach Belt Conference team, for the regional championship on Tuesday.

Catawba           35    35    — 70

N. Georgia       41     45    — 86

CATAWBA — Gerald 13, Robinson 12, Epps 10, Jones 9, Wallace 9, Nelson 8, Banks 4, Tinsley 4, White 2.

N. GEORGIA —  White 22, Charles 22, Bastiononi 16, Champion 13, Turner 7, Shedenhelm 6.