MORROW, Ga. | Young Harris College rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat Clayton State University 94-91 in a Peach Belt Conference men's basketball game Saturday (Feb. 20) afternoon at the Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
The Mountain Lions improved to 15-12 overall and remained in a three-way tie for first place with Columbus State University and the University of Montevallo with identical 13-5 ledgers in the PBC West Division entering the final game of the regular season. Young Harris will host Montevallo in a 7:30 p.m. contest Wednesday (Feb. 24) at the YHC Basketball Arena. Only the top two teams will host quarterfinals games of the PBC Tournament next weekend while the third-place team will have to hit the road. Clayton State falls to 14-11 and 9-9.
 
Young Harris, which has seen double-digit second half leads dissipate in four of their conference road games this season, had to pull themselves out of an early hole as the Lakers jumped out to a 25-8 advantage on an Alfonso Davis layup with 11:55 remaining in the first half.
 
The Mountain Lions, which only shot 35.3 percent (12-of-34) in the first half, closed out the opening 20 minutes on a 10-3 run that saw the Clayton State lead down to six points (48-42) at the half. 
 
YHC, which shot 63.3 percent (19-of-30) from the floor in the second half, took its first lead of the game at 68-67 on a C.J. Wilson's three-pointer with 12:30 left in the game. The lead seesawed between the two team for almost the next three minutes for another Wilson three-pointer gave the Mountain Lions the lead for good at 74-73 with 10:10 left. Wilson, who was 10-of-19 – 6-of-10 from three-point range - from the floor scored 23 of his game-high 35 points in the second half.
 
That started an 11-3 run for Young Harris that saw them open up a 82-75 lead on a Bjorn Walker jumper with 7:28 remaining. The closest the Lakers would get would be three points on five occasions, but Young Harris had an answer each time.
 
Wilson, who was 9-of-9 from the free throw line, added eight rebounds and three assists. Ben Waterhouse added 17 points while Walker and J.B. Charles each finished with 14. Marques McKoy also finished in double figures with 11, while Walker pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
Davis led Clayton State with 26 points while Nathan Powell added 23 points and nine rebounds. Takija Knight (12) and Dantez Bennamon (10) also finished in double figures.