YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Bjorn Walker scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead a balanced attack for Young Harris College as the Mountain Lions picked up an 83-69 Peach Belt Conference men's basketball victory over Georgia College Thursday (Feb. 11) evening at the YHC Basketball Arena.
 
The Mountain Lions improved to 13-11 overall and remained in first place in the PBC West Division at 11-4 while the Bobcats fell to 16-8 and 9-6. Young Harris travels to Columbus, Georgia, Saturday (Feb. 13) when they will face Columbus State University in 3:30 p.m.
 
Young Harris hit three consecutive three-pointers – two by Walker and another by Ben Waterhouse – to open a 25-15 lead with 12:00 remaining in the first half. The Mountain Lions pushed their lead to 13 points (30-17) lead just over a minute later on another Walker three. Walker scored 13 of his points in the opening 20 minutes.
 
An old-fashioned three-point play by J.B. Charles gave the Mountain Lions their largest lead of the game at 15 points (43-28) with 68 seconds in the half.
 
Young Harris took a 45-33 lead at the half, but the Bobcats scored nine unanswered points to trim the deficit down to five points (50-45) on a Terrell Harris layup after a YHC turnover with 14:50 to play. However, the Mountain Lions thwarted the GC comeback as they used an 8-0 run to take a 58-45 lead on a Ben Waterhouse jumper with 11:28 to go.
 
Georgia College put together another 9-0 run late in the game to get as close as five points (72-67) on a Ryan Blumenthal three-pointer with 1:44 remaining, but the Mountain Lions ended the GC comeback with seven unanswered points to retake a 12-point lead (79-67) with 35.9 seconds left on two Waterhouse free throws.
 
Waterhouse added 15 points for the Mountain Lions while C.J. Wilson added 14 points and seven assists. Charles and Marcellus Roberts each tossed in 13 points. Roberts also grabbed eight rebounds while Marques McKoy and Charles pulled down seven apiece.
 
Harris led Georgia College with 24 points while Isaac Thomas and Dwight Anderson added 12 points each. Blumenthal also finished in double figures with 11. Thomas and Harris led the Bobcats with seven rebounds.