YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Justin Jones scored 35 points to lead Young Harris College to a 128-91 Peach Belt Conference men's basketball victory over cross-mountain rival University of North Georgia Wednesday (Jan. 16) evening at the YHC Basketball Arena on Purple Out Night.
The Mountain Lions won their fourth consecutive game as they improved to 8-7 overall and to 6-3 in the Peach Belt. The Nighthawks fell to 6-7 and 1-6. Young Harris hits the road for a 3:30 p.m. contest Saturday (Jan. 19) in St. Augustine, Florida, against Flagler College.
Young Harris, which has scored at least 100 points in its last five games and for the sixth time this season, tied the conference record for points in a Peach Belt game (128) held by the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg (1991) and Lander University (2019). The 25 three-pointers that the Mountain Lions sank tied the PBC record for all games and broke YHC's own PBC record in Peach Belt games.
The Mountain Lions also set program bests (NCAA era) for points (128), field goals made (45), field goal attempted (87), three-point field goals made (25) and assists (30). All 11 players for the Mountain Lions scored in the contest.
Young Harris, which led for all but 45 seconds against its Blood Mountain rival, scored nine unanswered points - a
Troy Cagle three-pointer sandwiched around two
Seth McCoy three-pointers - to open up a 26-13 lead with 12:51 remaining in the first half. UNG got as close as seven points (26-19), but YHC used a 12-2 run off of three-pointers from McCoy (twice), Jones and
Paul Miller to open up a 52-32 lead with just over four minutes left. The Mountain Lions took a 61-37 lead at the half as
Alphonso Willis nailed a deep three-pointer from the top of the key as time expired.
Young Harris, which shot 51.7 percent from the field (45-of-87) and 53.2 percent from long distance (25-of-47), took their largest lead - 41 points (128-87) - after a
James Laput's dunk off a North Georgia turnovers with 68 seconds to play. The Mountain Lions scored 33 points off the Nighthawks' 21 turnovers. Young Harris held UNG to 38.3 percent shooting (31-of-81), including 12.5 percent from three-point range (3-of-24).
Jones led the way for Young Harris with a career-high 35 points on 12-of-17 shooting, including 9-of-10 from 3-point range. Willis and Cagle each finished with 18 points. Willis, who had six rebounds and four assists, hit 8-of-12 from the field, while Cagle set a career-high on six three-pointers.
Ryle Owens finished with 14 points and McCoy tossed in 12.
Nicksen Blanc paced the Mountain Lions with nine rebounds, while
Brian Harper had 12 assists.
Roderick English led North Georgia with 26 points, while Ephraim Tshimanga added 16. Shawn Hopkins and Zezmon Steeple each finished with 10 points, while Zach Cottrell pulled down 11 rebounds.
