Johnson scores 22 points as Mountain Lions rally to edge Brevard 71-70
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young Harris (13-2) | 32 | 39 | 71 |
| Brevard (5-8) | 37 | 33 | 70 |
| Boshamer Gymnasium; Brevard, N.C. | |||
| Young Harris | Brevard |
|---|---|
| Pts: Ladondra Johnson - 22 | Pts: Lindsay Brendle - 21 |
| Reb: Ladondra Johnson - 13 | Reb: 2 Players (#33, #TM - 7) |
| Ast: Lauren Smith - 10 | Ast: Micheala Watkins - 7 |
| Team Statistics | Young Harris | Brevard |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 46.7% (28-60 ) | 42.4% (28-66 ) |
| Rebounds | 39 | 38 |
| Assists | 18 | 19 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 14 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 19 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 18 | 11 |
| Pts in the Paint | 32 | 28 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 8 |
| Bench Pts | 11 | 15 |
BREVARD, N.C. – Ladondra Johnson scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Young Harris College rallied from a 12-point deficit and defeated Brevard College 71-70 in a women's basketball game Thursday (Jan. 12) evening at Boshamer Gymnasium.
The Mountain Lions won their sixth consecutive game as they improved to a college-best 13-2 while the Tornados dropped their fifth game in a row and eighth in their past nine as they fell to 5-8. Young Harris returns to action Saturday (Jan. 14) when they host North Georgia College & State University in a 2 p.m. contest at the YHC Basketball Arena.
Brevard scored nine unanswered points midway through the first half as the Tornados took a 25-13 lead with 9:43 remaining after Alyssa Cutshaw nailed a three-pointer – one of six by Brevard in the opening 20 minutes. The Mountain Lions trimmed the margin to five (37-32) at half as Kasey Cash hit a jumper and Keta Robinette dropped a three to end the period.
Young Harris got as close as a points (37-36) after opening the second half on consecutive scores by Johnson, who scored 14 points in the final 20 minutes, and Lauren Smith; however, Brevard scored the next six points to take extend their lead back to seven.
The Mountain Lions got back within two points (47-45) on a Johnson jumper in the paint with 13:46 to play, but again the Tornados went on a run to extend their lead to 10 (57-47) on a steal and layup by Micheala Watkins with 9:22 remaining. Young Harris battled back and put together a 14-2 run – including nine unanswered points to start – and take its first lead since the opening minutes of the game at 61-59 when Johnson hit two free throws with 4:21 left.
The teams traded leads back and forth until Shereese Williams hit two free throws with 48.7 seconds left to give the Mountain Lions a 69-67 advantage. After forcing Brevard to turn the ball over on its next possession, Robinette sealed the game by hitting both ends of one-and-one free throws with 8.1 seconds remaining to give Young Harris a 71-67 lead. Holli Flippo hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for Brevard to account for the final score.
Robinette, who hit four three-pointers, finished with 14 points while Smith and Williams accounted for 11 each. Smith also registered a double double as she dished out 10 assists. Lindsay Brendle led the Tornados with 21 points while Watkins (15) and Anna Schlobohm (12) were also in double figures.
"Brevard is a very veteran squad and for the first 38 minutes they made us look like freshmen and sophomores," said Young Harris coach Brenda Paul. "I was very proud that we were able to step up and pull it together as a team down the stretch."