CULLOWHEE, N.C. | Tess Harris scored 13 of her game-high 27 points as NCAA Division I's Western Carolina University rallied in the fourth quarter to get past NCAA Division II's Young Harris College 63-54 Monday (Nov. 12) evening at the Ramsey Center.

The game was an official game for the Catamounts, who improved to 1-2, while it was an exhibition contest for the Mountain Lions (0-2), who will return to action Wednesday (Nov. 14) when they travel to Anderson, South Carolina, for a 6 p.m. non-conference game at Anderson (S.C.) University.

Western Carolina used a 10-0 run at the end of the second quarter to open up a 30-19 halftime lead. Young Harris, which outscored the Catamounts 23-9  as they hit 9-of-16 from the field in the third quarter, The Mountain Lions used a 16-5 at the start of the second half to tie the game at 35 after a Haylie Shope connected on a three-point with 3:42 remaining. Elle Hutchinson hit  a jumper 36 seconds later to give YHC a 37-35 lead. Shope, who led the Mountain Lions with 17 points, converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 51 seconds left to take their largest lead of the game - five points (42-37).

The Catamounts reclaimed the lead for good at 54-51 with 3:27 to go in the fourth quarter when Jewel Smalls sank a three-pointer. That started a 12-3 run by Western Carolina to close out that game.

Harris scored her points on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor, including 6-of-11 from long distance. Farasia Hodges added 12 points and six points for Western Carolina.

Hutchinson finished with 13 points for Young Harris, while Pamela Diokpara added a game-high 10 rebounds.Jessica Beckner tallied seven points and six rebounds for the Mountain Lions.