YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Joshua Scott led four Tusculum University players in double figures as the Pioneers held off Young Harris College 73-69 in a non-conference men's basketball game Saturday (Dec. 14) afternoon at the YHC Basketball Arena.

The Pioneers improved to 7-4, while the Mountain Lions fell to 2-6. Young Harris returns to action Thursday (Dec. 19) for 2 p.m. Education Day home matinee against Lander University. It will also serve as the Peach Belt Conference opener.

Tusculum, which led for all but 16 seconds of the game, led 30-16 at the half as they scored 13 points off 13 YHC turnovers and held the Mountain Lions to 16 percent (4-of-25) shooting from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.

The Pioneers pushed their lead out to 20 points (56-36) after Tariq Jenkins converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 10:08 to play.Young Harris used a 10-1 run over the next four minutes to pull within 11 points (57-46) after a Brian Harper layup to 6:25 to go. Seth McCoy had six of the points for the Mountain Lions.

Tusculum got it back out to 13 points (66-53) with 120 seconds left in the game on a Brandon Mitchell putback. Young Harris, which shot 53.1 percent (17-of-32) from the floor, including 50 percent (11-of-22) from long distance in the second half, got it within five points (68-63)  after Ryle Owens sank a three-pointer with 30 seconds left. 

After two Pioneer free throws, Jacorie Archie connected on a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to get the Mountain Lions within four points (70-66). After Tusculum hit one of two free throws, McCoy sank all three free throws after he was fouled to get Young Harris within two points (71-69) with seven seconds remaining. Trenton Gibson seals the Pioneer win when he sank two free throws with 4.9 seconds left to put Tusculum, which was 20-of-37 from the charity stripe, up 73-69.

Caleb Hodnett added 12 points, while Mitchell and Gibson each finished with 10 points for Tusculum.

Archie paced the Mountain Lions with 15 points, while Owens added 13 more. McCoy finished with 12 points and Harper finished with nine.