YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Jessica Harris scored 20 points to lead Lander University past Young Harris College 71-57 in a Peach Belt Conference women's basketball game Thursday (Dec. 19) afternoon at the YHC Basketball Arena for its annual Education Day contest.

The Mountain Lions welcomed over 700 students from Hayesville, Ranger and Towns County middle schools for the game.

Lander improved to 6-3 overall and to 1-0 in the league, while Young Harris fell to 5-3 and 0-1. The Mountain Lions will wrap up their pre-Christmas holiday schedule with a 1:30 p.m. PBC contest Saturday (Dec, 21) against Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C.

Young Harris opened the game with a Kalen Surles layup, but Lander took control by scoring the next 10 points to open up a 10-2 lead on a Tabitha Daley layup with 4:16 left in the first quarter. The Bearcats would push their lead to as many as 14 points (23-9), before the Mountain Lions got as close as seven points (27-20)  on two Sarah Woghiren free throws with 1:57 to go before the half.

Lander, which led 35-23 at the half, saw Young Harris cut its lead in half to six points (40-34) on a Carly Winters' jumper in the paint with 5:51 left in the third quarter, but that would be as close as the Mountain Lions would get as the Bearcats would extend their lead to 22 points (67-45).

Zamiya Passmore added 15 points, seven assists and five steals for Lander, while Dailey added a double double with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

Jada Griffin was the top scorer for the Mountain Lions with 11 points, while Bria Clemmons added nine points and Niaya White contributed eight points and eight rebounds.