COLUMBUS, Ga. | Columbus State University used strong second and third quarters to pull away from Young Harris College 68-49 in a Peach Belt Conference women's basketball game Saturday (Feb. 13) afternoon at the Lumpkin Center.
 
The Cougars improved to 19-4 overall and to 13-3 in the league while the Mountain Lions fell to 9-14 and 4-12. Young Harris returns to the YHC Basketball Arena Wednesday (Feb. 17) when they host PBC-foe Georgia Southwestern State University at 5:30 p.m.
 
Young Harris tied the game at 12 with 14 seconds remaining in the first quarter on a steal and layup by Meredith Tarver. Columbus State, which outscored Young Harris 37-16 in the middle quarters, scored the first seven points of the second quarter to take a 19-12 lead on two Ashley Asouzu free throws with 6:23 remaining before the half.
 
The Cougars held the Mountain Lions to 33.3 percent shooting (18-of-54) from the floor while scoring 21 points off 19 YHC.
 
Asouzu and Michelle Mitchell led the Cougars with 14 points while Erin Morrow contributed 13. Brittney Tatum added 11 more for Columbus State. Asouzu also grabbed a team-high rebounds.
 
Jenny Vernet led the Mountain Lions with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. Tarver and Briana Bell added eight points for Young Harris, while Tarver also grabbed nine rebounds.