ORANGE, Calif. | Savanna Hanson scored 30 points as No. 16 Azusa Pacific University held off Young Harris College 87-76 in a women's basketball game at the Sport Anaheim Division II Tip-off Classic Sunday (Nov. 5) morning at Santiago Canyon College.

The Cougars improved to 3-0, while the Mountain Lions fell to 1-2. Young Harris will return to action  Nov. 14 when they travel to Emmanuel (Ga.) College for a 6 p.m. contest in Franklin Springs, Georgia.

"We played really hard and really well against No. 16 Azusa Pacific," said YHC head coach Matt Stearsman. "As soon as we understand valuing the basketball, we have a chance to be very good. Everyone who played today was tremendous. We got the jet lag out on Friday and played really well the last two days. Very proud and excited about this team."

Azusa Pacific built up a 22-9 lead with 1:23 remaining in the first quarter on by Savanna Hanson. The Cougars stretched their lead to 21 points (51-30) on a Casey Wortley layup with seven minutes in the third quarter. 

Young Harris rallied, using a 14-2 run over a 3:28 stretch of the third and fourth quarters, to cut the margin to seven points (66-59) after a steal and layup from Pamela Diokpara with 8:29 remaining in the game. Diokpara had six points for the Mountain Lions during the runs while Briana Bell and Sarah Garner each sank a three-pointer.

The game was as close as eight points (78-70)  after a Ge'Naisha Robinson hit a layup for Young Harris, which converted 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from the field in the fourth quarter, with 3:54 to play. The Cougars thwarted the Mountain Lion surge with a 7-0 run to take a 85-70 lead on a Gabrielle Kaiser layup with 62 seconds left. 

The Mountain Lions shot a season-high 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the foor and 79.2 percent (19-of-24) from the charity stripe. Bell led YHC with 15 points and four rebounds, while Eryn Cochran added 13 points and four assists. Robinson and Diokpara added 10 points apiece. Robinson added eight rebounds and Diokpara had five for the Mountain Lions, who enjoyed a 42-26 margin on the boards.

Gabrielle Kaiser added 18 points, seven rebounds and six blocked shots for Azusa Pacific, while Wortley added 12 points.