(The R.A.C., Rossville, Georgia) – A pair of free throws from freshman Mariah Price (Summerville, GA) with 12 seconds remaining would prove to be the shots that would break a 66-all tie and help Georgia Northwestern grab a share of the NJCAA Region XVII 2012-13 regular season title Saturday. Sophomore Lady Cat All-Region standout Emily Cole (Adairsville, GA) would lead the way with 16 points as the Cats would top Middle Georgia Tech at The R.A.C, 68-66.

One year after winning the NJCAA Region XVII outright, the win Saturday puts Georgia Northwestern in a first-place tie for the region crown with West Georgia Tech.

With both teams splitting their regular season series, the tie-breaker scenarios have now all whittled down to one coin-toss expected to be held in Oxford, Georgia tomorrow afternoon at Emory-Oxford College.

Both teams split the regular season title. However, the coin-toss will determine the top seed for the post-season tournament taking place next week at Middle Georgia Tech.

Making their living from the three-point line throughout the 2012-13 campaign, the Lady Cats would hit a bit of a long-range cold snap against the visiting Lady Titans (7-18, 2-4). Georgia Northwestern would go 7-of-31 from beyond the arc. Big shots from mid-range would help the Lady Cats keep the advantage throughout the game.

Price would drop in 15 points in the win for Georgia Northwestern (13-10, 5-1) in the regular season closer. Sophomore Lady Cat Odessa Person would continue to make her presence felt as she popped through a dozen points and pulled down 15 boards on the day.

The NJCAA Region XVII Basketball Tournament will be held in Warner-Robbins, Georgia February 22-24. The winner of the tournament earns the regions automatic bid into the NJCAA Women’s National Basketball Tournament which begins one week later. The Lady Cats fell in the first round of the national tournament last year losing at the nation’s eventual fourth-place finisher in Montgomery College-Rockville (MD) 99-51.

Georgia Northwestern is a member of NJCAA Region XVII, the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association, and is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.

Georgia Northwestern (68) – Kiarra Parks 10, Jones, Emily Cole 16, Nichelson 8, Smith 3, Mariah Price 15, Mostella 2, Odessa Person 12.

Middle Georgia (66) – Gresham 4, Gadson 7, Ashley West 15, Hudson 2, Tynisha Walton 10, Ashleigh Burnett 10, Kameelah Wynn 16

Halftime Score: 37-27, Georgia Northwestern.

Men's Game

After slowing down one of the region’s highest-scoring offenses for a half of action Saturday, Georgia Northwestern would take a 21-16 lead into the intermission with the region’s top team in Middle Georgia Tech at The R.A.C. (Rossville Athletic Complex) Saturday.

However, the Titans would turn things up as they would outscore the Cats on their home court 48-24 in the second half in route to a 64-45 win over Georgia Northwestern in the NJCAA Region XVII regular season finale. The win gives Middle Georgia Tech (17-12, 6-2) the outright NJCAA Region XVII regular season title.

Titan Forward Dwayne Bryant led all scoring with 15 points in the road win. Georgia Northwestern (8-18, 0-8) was led by NJCAA All-Region and All-District standout Alex Miller (Calhoun, Georgia) with 13 points, seven rebounds, and a steal. Fellow Cat sophomore Bud Todd (Trion, Georgia) added six points, five rebounds, and four blocked shots in the effort.

After slowing things down in the first-half, the Bobcats felt like they had things in hand. They held the top team in the region to 16 points in the opening stanza. That’s an impressive feat give it was just four weeks ago that the Titans dropped 107 points on the Cats in Warner-Robbins, Georgia.

When play began in the second half, that’s when Middle Georgia Tech Men’s Head Basketball Coach Bobby Brown turned on the full-court press. The final twenty minutes belonged to the Titans as they scored 48 points in the final 20 minutes of play, thanks in part to 21 turnovers caused by the Titan defense.

The Bobcats will next hit the hardwood on Friday night at Middle Georgia Tech, site of the 2013 NJCAA Region XVII post-season tournament. The winner of the tournament will earn an automatic bid into this year’s NJCAA National Basketball Tournament. The Cats will face off with West Georgia Tech (14-15, 4-4) in the opening game of the tournament.

The 2013 NJCAA National Tournament begins one week following the regional event. Georgia Northwestern is a member of NJCAA Region XVII, the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association, and is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.

Georgia Northwestern (45) – Cotton 2, Jackson 3, Ivester 3, Todd 6, Alex Miller 13, Robinson, Reynolds 9, Olsen 2, Johnson 4, Dempsey 3.

Middle Georgia (64) – Smith 8, Anthony 4, Etheridge 4, Johnathan Morine 12, Simmons 7, Rozier 6, Walker, Yancy 6, Dwayne Bryant 15.

Halftime Score: 21-16, Georgia Northwewstern.