History was made inside Lynn Cottrell Arena at the UNG Convocation Center Tuesday night as the University of North Georgia men’s basketball team took down Peach Belt rival Lander in a gut-wrenching roller coaster, 70-67 win to secure the program’s first ever NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship. The Nighthawks are on to the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships in Evansville, Ind.
These two teams have a checkered past. They both entered Tuesday’s all-or-nothing showdown with a perfect 15-15 head-to-head record against each other. But more than just bragging rights was on the line.
UNG is the No. 14 ranked team nationally and Lander, just outside the top-25 pol, is receiving the most votes of any unranked team.
The Nighthawks were looking for revenge after losing both regular season matchups to the Bearcats for the first time in program history. Lander was ready to make a statement after so many counted them out when they lost five of their last six games to end the regular season. All those ingredients were thrown into the hype stew in what was set to be the first-ever postseason matchup of any kind between the pair.
No one knew what was going to happen. Everyone knew it was going to be exciting. Then, the game lived up to its billing.
Click here for a complete rundown on the game: Nighthawks Are 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional Champions!! – University of North Georgia Athletics (ungathletics.com)