ATLANTA | Chuka Eneh scored 19 points as Clark Atlanta University held off Young Harris College for a 65-60 men's basketball victory Saturday (Dec. 12) afternoon at Epps Gymnasium.
The Panthers improved to 1-7 while the Mountain Lions fell to 2-7. Young Harris returns to action Thursday (Dec. 17) when they open up its 2015-16 Peach Belt Conference schedule with a 7:30 p.m. contest at the YHC Basketball Arena against Armstrong State University.
Clark Atlanta scored the game's first eight points, culminating on an Eneh layup with 17:56 remaining in the first half. Young Harris got back into the game as they reeled off a 10-0 run to take a 19-14 lead on a
Marcellus Roberts layup after a steal by
J.B. Charles with 8:51 to play. The Mountain Lions extended their lead to eight – 28-20 – on a
Bjorn Walker layup with 1:56 to go before halftime.
The Panthers took a 29-28 lead at the half as they scored eight of the final nine points. Walker hit two free throws and added a layup as Young Harris regained the lead at 37-33 with 14:41 remaining. However, Clark Atlanta took the lead at 41-39 on a three-pointer by Eneh, who went 7-of-9 from the floor, with 11:59 to go. The Panthers pushed the advantage to seven points – 53-46 – on two Joseph Hughes free throws with 7:01 left.
Young Harris rallied again, this time using a 12-3 run to take a 58-56 lead on a
Ben Waterhouse jumper with 3:33 left. However, that would be the final basket the Mountain Lions would make in the contest. The Panthers took the lead for good at 60-58 on two Joseph Hughes free throws with 2:37 to go.
Young Harris missed two jumpers and committed an offensive foul – one of 23 turnovers committed by the Mountain Lions - on their next two possessions. Clark Atlanta was able to add three free throws by Hughes, who went 7-of-7 from the free throw line, with 24 seconds left to open up a 63-58 lead.
Tim Sanders added 17 points for the Panthers while Hughes contributed 15.
C.J. Wilson led the Mountain Lions with 19 points as he closed to within nine points of becoming the third 1,000-point scorer in the NCAA era for Young Harris. Walker tallied 12 points for YHC while Waterhouse and
Marques McKoy each added eight. McKoy paced the Mountain Lions with nine rebounds while Wilson, Walker and
Marcellus Roberts each grabbed eight as Young Harris outrebounded the Panthers 40-28 on the glass.
