AUGUSTA, Ga. | Young Harris College overcame an early 14-point deficit, but wasn't able to hold on as Augusta University registered a 51-48 Peach Belt Conference women's basketball victory Monday (Jan. 16) afternoon at the Christenberry Fieldhouse.

The Jaguars improved to 8-6 overall and to 3-5 in the Peach Belt, while the Mountain Lions fell to 6-8 and 2-5. Young Harris wraps up the three-game road trip Wednesday (Jan. 18) with a 5:30 p.m. Central time contest against the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama.

Augusta scored nine of the first 11 points of the game and took a 19-8 lead after the first quarter. The Jaguars pushed their lead to as many as 14 points (30-16) as Breonna O'Conner got a steal and turned it into an old-fashioned three-point play with 5:47 remaining in the half. 

The Mountain Lions began their comeback by scoring the final six points - including four from Jenny Vernet -  of the half to only trail 32-25 at the intermission. Vernet added two free throws to start the third quarter and Briana Bell connected on a jumper in the paint as Young Harris cut the deficit to three points (32-29) with 8:01 to go.

A Vernet jumper at the end of third quarter pulled the Mountain Lions to within 38-36 and Young Harris took its only lead of the game (39-38) on a Meredith Tarver three-pointer with 9:20 remaining in the contest.

Augusta responded by scoring seven unanswered points to open up a 45-39 lead on a steal and layup by O'Conner with 5:40 to play. The Mountain Lions got back within a point (45-44) less than a minute later as Vernet connected on a jumper and Bell nailed a three-point basket.

The Jaguars extended their margin to five again, only to see Young Harris pull within a point (49-48) on two Bell free throws with 15 seconds left. Joshlyn Belcher iced the game for Augusta as she hit two free throws to put the Jaguars up 51-48. The Mountain Lions had one final chance to send the game into overtime, but Meghan McQuade's three-point attempt in the final seconds missed.

"We played extremely hard in the second half today and  I think we came back and took the lead at one point," said YHC women's basketball coach Matt Stearsman. "But we can't keep playing from behind. Teams are too good in this league. Very happy about the last 20 minutes of the game, and the last five of the first half. We have to play harder in the beginning and play smarter down the stretch."

Tarver led the Mountain Lions with 15 points while Vernet recorded a double double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Bell finished with 13 points. 

O'Conner was the only player in double figures for Augusta with 13 points.