DAHLONEGA, Ga. | Kelsey Hutchins scored 25 points – 13 in the second half – off the bench to lead the University of North Georgia to a 59-56 come-from-behind Peach Belt Conference women's basketball victory over its cross-mountain rival Young Harris College Monday (Jan. 4) evening at Memorial Hall.
 
The Nighthawks improved to 11-2 overall and to 3-1 in the Peach Belt while the Mountain Lions fell to 7-4 and 2-2. Young Harris returns to the YHC Basketball Arena Wednesday (Jan. 6) at 5:30 p.m. when they host PBC-foe Lander University.
 
Young Harris jumped out to a 12-3 lead with 3:57 remaining in the first quarter on a Jada Williams putback. North Georgia, which was held to just one field goal in the first quarter, got as close as five points (24-19) on a Hutchins layup with 1:28 left in the first half.
 
The Mountain Lions, which led 26-19 at intermission, got back-to-back putbacks from Jenny Vernet, who scored 11 points in only 12 minutes of action due to foul trouble, to take a 30-19 lead 90 seconds into the third quarter. Behind a 15-2 run, the Nighthawks took their first lead of the game at 34-32 on a layup by Hutchins, who scored eight points during the rally, with 2:57 left.
 
From that point there were seven lead changes and eight ties.
 
North Georgia took its largest lead – five points (47-42) – on a Jordan Livesay three-pointer with 7:03 remaining in the contest. However, the Mountain Lions scored the game's next six points to retake the lead at 48-47 when Sarah Garner hit two three throws with 4:54 to play.
 
The Nighthawks took the lead for good at 50-49 on two Hutchins free throws with 3:03 left and extended it out to four points at 53-49 on a underneath shot from Hutchins. Young Harris closed to within one at 55-54 on a Meredith Tarver jumper with 36.1 seconds to play. UNG got a baseline jumper from the left side from Kaylee Akin with 6.4 seconds to open a 57-54 lead. Young Harris attempted a three-point shot to tie the game, but a Jasmine Knight jumper in the paint with 1.3 seconds got the Mountain Lions within a point at 57-56. North Georgia got two free throws from Molly Rainwater with 0.2 seconds for the final margin.

"Give a lot of credit to North Georgia," said Young Harris head coach Matt Stearsman. "They made every play down the stretch to win. Free throws has been our achilles heel all year and we were 8-of-17 tonight. You can't beat good teams shooting below 50%. They caused us a lot of problems and they made some crucial plays down the stretch."

Rainwater added 10 points for North Georgia while Cierra Jackson added 12 rebounds and nine points.
 
Tarver led Young Harris with 14 points while Knight finished with a double double (12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds).