YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Young Harris College rallied from 17 points down to defeat Lee University 49-47 in a non-conference women's basketball game Tuesday (Dec. 4) evening at the YHC Basketball Arena.

The Mountain Lions improved to 2-5 as they head into final exams and will return to action with a 5:30 p.m. home Peach Belt Conference game Dec. 13 against Lander University. The Flames fell to 5-2.

Lee scored the game's first 16 points as the Flames converted 10 YHC turnovers into 12 points during the run. The Flames would score 29 points off 31 Mountain Lion turnovers in the game.

Young Harris got its lone points in the first quarter off a Lindsey Caudell jumper with 2:49 left. Lee took its largest lead - 17 points (19-2) - on a putback from Kayla Tillie with 9:11 left before halftime. The Mountain Lions got themselves back in the contest as they scored the next 15 points over the next six minutes to close within two points (19-17) after Pamela Diokpara sank two free throws with 3:19 to go. The Flames missed eight straight field goals and committed four turnovers during the YHC rally.

The Flames took a 25-20 lead at the half and extended their lead to 12 points (34-22) after Abby Bertram sank a three-pointer with 2:34 to play in the third quarter.  Young Harris used to a 15-2 run as the Mountain Lions took their first lead of the game (37-36) after Haylie Shope made a pair of free throws with 6:05 remaining in the game.

Lee retook the lead on a Lindsey Roddy layup nearly a minute later and twice expanded its lead to three points, the last time after Bertram hit a three-pointer to give the Flames a 45-42 lead with 3:03 to go.

Two Sarah Reid free throws and a three-pointer from Shope reclaimed the lead for Young Harris at 47-45 with 1:48 left. A layup from Becca Cheeks 11 seconds later for Lee tied the game at 47. 

The teams traded missed opportunities on their next possessions before Shope was fouled on one of her game-high 13 rebounds with 39.3 seconds left. She missed her first free throw, but sunk her second attempt to give YHC a 48-47 lead. After Lee missed a shot on its next possession, Shope again hit one of her two throws with 21.2 seconds left to give Young Harris a 49-47 lead. 

Lee had four opportunities to either tie or take the lead in the final 21.2 seconds before Diokpara pulled down her 12th rebound of the game to seal the comeback victory for the Mountain Lions.

The Mountain Lions held Lee to just 26.4 percent shooting (19-of-72) and outrebounded the Flames 50-40, including a 39-22 edge on the defensive glass.

Diokpara had a double double for Young Harris as she scored 10 points, while Shope nearly had a double double of her own as she scored nine points. Caudell scored a career-high 11 points in her first start of the season. Sarah Woghiren added nine points while Grace Isakson contributed nine rebounds.

Roddy led Lee with 11 points, while Bertram had nine points and nine rebounds.