UNG makes Pirates walk the plank, 90-77, for fifth straight win

SAVANNAH -- The University of North Georgia men's basketball team earned its fifth consecutive victory with a 90-77 Peach Belt Conference win at Armstrong State on Saturday afternoon in ASU's Alumni Arena. Travis Core came off the bench to lead four Nighthawks in double figures with a team-high 18 points on five-of-10 shooting from the floor.<br /> <br /> Shaquan Cantrell, a Gainesville High graduate, added 14 points and six rebounds while Michael Varrichione and Corey Green pitched in with 11 and 10 points apiece. Andrew Lawrence contributed with a season-high six rebounds for North Georgia.<br /> <br /> North Georgia hit 17-of-34 (50 percent) shots from the floor in building a 10-point lead at the half, 47-37. The Pirates would cut the lead to single digits early in the second half, but an 8-0 run over a one-and-a half minute stretch would push the Nighthawks lead to 17, 57-40, with 16:34 remaining and Armstrong would not be able to cut the lead to single digits again.<br /> <br /> Senior Emmanuel Tiluscar led four Pirates in double figures with on the day with 17 points. The loss was the sixth in a row for the Pirates who fall to 2-7, 0-3 PBC.<br /> <br /> The win improves North Georgia to 8-1 overall and 2-0 in Peach Belt Conference play. Each of the five consecutive wins has been away from the friendly confines of Memorial Hall.<br /> <br /> The eight wins in the first nine games sets a new NCAA-era standard and is just three wins away from the all-time best start in North Georgia history behind the 1971-72 team's 11-1 start.<br /> <br /> North Georgia returns to action in the New Year, hosting Georgia College on Jan. 3 in Memorial Hall.