COLUMBUS, Ga. – Young Harris College rallied from 15 points down and got within a point in the final seconds, but No. 16 Columbus State University held on for a 70-67 Peach Belt Conference women's basketball victory Saturday (Jan. 24) afternoon at the Lumpkin Center.
The Cougars improved to 18-1 overall and remained in first place in the PBC West Division while the Mountain Lion's four-game winning streak was snapped as they fall to 8-9 and 5-5. Young Harris will return home Wednesday (Jan. 28) to host Georgia College in a 5:30 p.m. PBC contest. It will be Most Outstanding Professor Night and the annual Purple Out contest.
Columbus State opened up a 44-29 lead with 1:29 left in the first half as Eryn Cochran nailed the Cougars' ninth trey of the opening 20 minutes. CSU shot 51.5 percent (17-of-33) from the field, including 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from long range.
"First of all I'd like to give all the credit to Columbus State," said YHC interim head coach Matt Stearsman. "They are coached extremely well. In saying that, we didn't give them any resistance in the first half.
"In the second half, we battled back and gave ourselves a chance to win," added Stearsman. "To go on the road and play the No. 16 team in the nation and play as poorly as we did for a half, and have a chance to win is incredible. The only reason we had a chance is because of how hard we played down the stretch. I'm proud of that."
The Mountain Lions got back into the game as they scored nine of the first 11 points in the second half to close to within five (48-43) as Young Harris converted a CSU turnover into a Chan Fann jumper in the paint with 14:15 remaining.
After YHC got within four points (55-51) on a Kaycee Cash free throw with 8:00 left, the Cougars scored the next seven points to push the lead out to double figures (62-51) on a three-pointer by Ariel Johnson with 5:51 to play.
The Mountain Lions were don't as they got within four points (68-64) after an old-fashioned three-point play by Shereese Williams with 1:47 left. Young Harris got a steal and a layup from Jasmine Knight to make it 68-66 with 60 seconds left. With 9.3 seconds left, Knight made the second of two free throws to pull the Mountain Lions within a point at 68-67.
Carrie Washington hit both free throws for the Cougars with 4.7 seconds left to extend their lead to 70-67. Young Harris had a chance to tie the game but Briana Bell's three-pointer bounced off the rim as the horn sounded.
Michelle Mitchell led the Cougars with 21 points and nine rebounds while Dee Dee Deshazer added 15 and Washington finished with 10.
Virginia Scott led Young Harris with 15 points, nine in the second half. It is the third time in the past four games that Scott has scored 15 points. Peyton Robertson and Williams each tallied 12 points. Kaycee Cash added seven points and seven rebounds while Knight and Fann each grabbed six rebounds.
