DAHLONEGA, Ga. - Clark Atlanta men's basketball improved to 3-1 to begin the season after surviving an overtime thriller at North Georgia, 89-84. This was the first overtime game of the young season, a year after CAU went 1-1 in overtime games.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Clark Atlanta 89, North Georgia 84
Record: Clark Atlanta (3-1), North Georgia (2-2)
Date: Nov. 19, 2016 | Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Memorial Hall | Dahlonega, Ga.

HOW IT HAPPENED (REGULATION):
After UNG made the opening basket of the game, CAU took the lead, 4-2, after back-to-back jumpers by Lawrance Triplett and Anthony Williams.
 
North Georgia tied the game, 4-4, before a 4-0 Clark Atlanta lead put the Panthers ahead for the remainder of the opening half.
 
CAU built a first half advantage of as much as 12 points utilizing an 8-0 run over three minutes that saw Tim Sanders score twice from the FT line and ended with back-to-back layups from Derek Harper.
 
An 11-2 run by the Nighthawks cut the Panther lead to one point with 2:10 remaining in the opening half, but the Panthers went into the intermission leading 34-29 with the final four points for Clark Atlanta coming from Sanders at the FT line.
 
The lead for the Panthers disappeared in the second half with 1:59 left on the clock after UNG connected on a 3-pointer to tie the game, 66-66. UNG took the lead with a layup capping a 13-0 run over 1:46 late in the second half, 68-66.
 
Each team swapped 3-pointers, CAU seeing Harper score first with 50 seconds left before UNG connected to take a two point lead with 32 second remaining.
 
Damien Davis stepped to the FT line with nine seconds to play and was good on both FT attempts to tie the game, 71-71. A last second effort for North Georgia was no good and the game went to overtime.

HOW IT HAPPENED (OVERTIME):
Clark Atlanta opened the overtime session with a 6-0 run with layups by Triplett, Sanders and Williams.
 
UNG tied the game with two 3-pointers before Harper moved CAU to the lead with a jumper. North Georgia tied the game for the final time with a dunk, 79-79.
 
Clark Atlanta took the lead for good with a 5-0 run starting with a FT from Davis and seeing Sanders add a jumper and Harper go 2-for-2 from the FT line; 84-79.
 
Sanders scored four of the final five Panther points from the FT line as CAU ended the game on a 5-2 run.

TEAM NUMBERS:
Clark Atlanta shot 31-of-63 (49.2 percent) from the floor and 3-for 10 from 3-point range. The Panthers went 24-for-32 (75.0 percent) from the FT line.
 
CAU held the advantage in rebounding, 37-31, including 30 defensive rebounds that limited North Georgia to just four second chance points.
 
The Panthers led the game for 39:03 (86.8 percent) and never trailed by more than two points. CAU once led by as much as 12 points in the first half.
 
Both teams committed a high count of turnovers with UNG committing 22 and CAU adding 21. Clark Atlanta tallied seven steals on the 22 turnovers by the Nighthawks.
 
The Panthers held the advantage in points off turnovers, 18-17, points in the paint, 38-28. UNG outgained CAU in points from the bench, 38-30, and fast break scoring, 12-10.

INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS:
Williams played a game-high 40 minutes while scoring 17 points for a season-high to date. Williams went 6-for-14 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the FT line. He also led the Panthers with three assists on the night.
 
Sanders led the Panthers in scoring for the second time this season with 20 points on 5-for-9 from the floor and 10-for-13 from the FT line.  The senior chipped in two steals and two assists.
 
Harper scoring 19 points off the bench and has reached double-digit points three times this season from the bench. Harper shot 6-of-8 and has made at least one 3-pointer in each game of the season.
 
Tajai Johnson tallied a team-high six rebounds as four Panthers each had five rebounds.

UP NEXT:
Clark Atlanta plays the next two games at home. Shorter will visit L.S. Epps Gymnasium on Nov. 22 at 8:  p.m. before Georgia College comes to town on Nov. 28 at 8:00 p.m.