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YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.  | Briana Bell's three-pointer with 7.3 seconds left in overtime as Young Harris College overcame a 15-point deficit - including a seven-point margin in overtime - to rally past Columbus State University 93-92 in overtime in a Peach Belt Conference women's basketball game Saturday (Jan. 20) afternoon at the YHC Basketball Arena. 

The Mountain Lions improved to 7-11 overall and 4-7 in the PBC while the Cougars fell to 8-6 and 6-4. Young Harris returns to action Wednesday (Jan. 24) as they travel to Milledgeville, Georgia,  to take on Georgia College in a 5:30 p.m. PBC contest. 

Sarah Garner scored eight of her 11 points in the first quarter, as she nailed two three pointers and a jumper, while Ge'Naisha Robinson brought the score within one (18-17) after making a pair of free throws with nine seconds left in the first quarter. The Mountain Lions went 1-for-13 from the floor in the second quarter, scoring only nine points as Columbus State shot 61.5 percent (8-of-13) in the second quarter to give them a 38-26 halftime lead. 

Machala Raymonville hit a three at the 9:47 mark in the third quarter to give the Cougars a 15-point lead (41-26). Young Harris went on a 13-4 run over the next 3:02 to bring the score with six (45-39) after a three-pointer by Bell.  Columbus State pushed its lead back out to 13 points (53-40) on a Chrisalyn Boston layup with 3:45 remaining in the quarter.

The Mountain Lions cut the margin down to seven points (57-50) at the end of the third quarter. Eryn Cochran nailed four three-pointers for the Mountain Lions in the first half of the fourth quarter as her three with 5:22 left pulled the Mountain Lions within a point at 66-65. The Mountain Lions, who shot 46.7 percent from long distance, hit 11 of their school record 14 three-pointers in the second half and overtime. 

Young Harris took the lead (71-70) after a layup by Ashlyn Ellison with 3:41 to play in regulation, but. Columbus State regained the lead (74-71) after a pair of free throws by Raymonville and a layup by Boston. Cochran and Sarah Reid each converted a layup, which gave the Mountain Lions a 77-74 lead with 45 seconds in regulation. Tatum Jarvis hit a three-pointer for the Cougars with 36 seconds left to even the score at 77, which would send the game into overtime. 

Columbus State went on a 12-5 run for the first 4:05 of overtime take an 89-82 with 55 seconds left in the game on two Jasmine Herndon free throws. Cochran scored the next five points for Young Harris after making a three-pointer and a pair of free throws with 30 seconds to go. Sara Jorgensen hit a three pointer with 21 second remaining to bring the score within two (92-90) . After two missed free throws by Herndon with 18 seconds to go, Cochran grabbed the defensive rebound to start the winning score. Jorgensen passed the ball to Bell who nailed the game-winning three-pointer at the top of the key to give YHC a 93-92 lead with 7.3 seconds. Columbus State had one final chance to take the lead, but Tatiana Wayne's jumper found iron as the buzzer sounded. 

"What a game," said YHC head coach Matt Stearsman. "We had them down on the deck in regulation, they had us down in overtime. We found a way to win that game. We had people fouling out and it felt a lot like the North Georgia game, but our shooting ability kept us in the mix and eventually pulled as through.

"Individually, Ashlyn Ellison was unstoppable in the third quarter and Jorgensen had a great second half, added Stearsman. "Look at what Eryn Cochran did, what a stat line. I couldn't be happier for Briana Bell, I knew that she was going to make that shot as soon as she caught it, she made a senior play."

The 93 points by the Mountain Lions was just one short of the school record (94) in the NCAA era. Cochran finished with a career-high 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Ellison had 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Garner tallied 11 points and five rebounds, while Reid finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Robinson had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Raymonville finished the game for Columbus State with 26 points, going 15-of-18 at the free throw line, and nine rebounds. Wayne scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds while Herndon tallied 16 points and had six rebounds. Jarvis scored 10 points and had two rebounds.