YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Keshun Sherrill hit back-to-back three-pointers, including the game winner with 17.7 seconds remaining to give Georgia Regents University Augusta a 67-65 come-from-behind Peach Belt Conference men's basketball victory Monday (Jan. 19) afternoon at the YHC Basketball Arena.
The Jaguar, who scored the game's final seven points, improved to 13-4 overall and to 5-4 in the Peach Belt while the snake-bitten Mountain Lions fell to 5-10 and 2-7. Young Harris will return to action Saturday (Jan. 24) with a 3:30 p.m. PBC contest against Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia.
The game saw nine ties and seven lead changes.
Young Harris led by six points (35-29) at the half and pushed their lead to nine points (42-33) after C.J. Wilson, who is 25th in NCAA Division II in three-point field goals made per game (3.00), nailed a three-pointer with 16:49 to play. GRU Augusta, which outscored Young Harris 20-4 in second-chance points, tied the game at 45 on a putback by Henry McCarthy with 12:17 remaining.
From that point, neither team enjoyed more than a five-point lead. Another stick back from McCarthy opened up a 58-53 lead for the Jaguars with 5:49, but the Mountain Lions responded with nine unanswered points over the next three minutes to take a 62-58 lead on two free throws by Herdie Lawrence with 2:30 left. Isaiah Johnson scored the first five points during that run while Lawrence tallied the final four.
Two free throws by Johnson gave the Mountain Lions, who went 21-of-24 from the charity stripe, a 65-60 lead with 2:09 remaining. It would be the final points of the night for the Mountain Lions.
A three-pointer by Sherrill cut the margin to two (65-63). After the Mountain Lions came up empty of their next two trips down the court, Sherrill hit a three-pointer from the deep left corner to give GRU Augusta a 66-65 lead with 17.7 seconds left.
"You have to give credit to Keshun for making that shot," said YHC head coach Pete Herrmann. "We guarded the ball a lot better tonight, but we have to get the rebounds."
The Mountain Lions had a chance to retake the lead, but Wilson's three-pointer from the left corner bounced in and out of the net and Keith Crump added an insurance free throw with 1.7 seconds.
"C.J. had a good look on the basket at the end, but it just didn't fall," added Herrmann.
Devon Wright-Nelson led the Jaguars, who outrebounds the Mountain Lions 44-31, with 20 points and eight rebounds while Sherrill had 18 points. Devonte Thomas also finished in double figures with 10 points.
Johnson led Young Harris with 15 points and six steals. Johnson is ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II with 3.08 steals per game. Lawrence added 15 points while Kevin Altidor (12) and Wilson (11) each finished in double figures. Altidor pulled down a game-high nine rebounds while Bjorn Walker grabbed eight.
