FLORENCE, S.C. | Winston Hill scored 29 points as Francis Marion University outlasted Young Harris College 117-111 in a Peach Belt Conference men's basketball game Saturday (Dec. 21) afternoon at the Smith University Center,

The Patriots improved to 3-5 overall and to 2-0 in the Peach Belt, while the Mountain Lions fell to 2-8 and 0-2. Young Harris is off until the new year when they will face the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in a 3:30 p.m. PBC contest Jan. 4 at the YHC Basketball Arena.

Francis Marion scored the game's first eight points and took its largest lead - 19 points (81-62) - on an Alex Cox three-pointer with 12:16 remaining in the game. The Mountain Lions used a 7-0 run to get within 86-76 on a Brandon Beloti jumper with 8:58 to play. Young Harris used an 8-0 run to trim the deficit to three points (92-89) as Seth McCoy hit back-to-back three-pointers and two free throws from Nate Louis with 7:10 to go.

Young Harris took its first lead of the game at 102-101 when McCoy, who was 8-of-11 from long distance, hit a three-pointer with 2:47 remaining. Douglas Dwight hit a jumper on the next FMU possession before the Mountain Lions, who connected on 11-of-20 three-pointers in the second half, took their final lead at 104-103 on a McCoy jumper 23 seconds later.

Francis Marion took the lead for good at 106-104 on Dwight three-pointer with 2:03 to go and extended its lead to six points (112-106) on a Trey Jones three-pointer with 35 seconds left.  Young Harris got as close as three points (114-111) after a Brian Harper layup with 15 seconds to go, but the Patriots hit three-of-four free throws to thwart the Young Harris comeback.

Cox added 19 points for the Patriots, while Dwight (17), Jones (12) and Kendall Wall (12) all finished in double figures.

McCoy led the Mountain Lions with a career-high 27 points, while Harper finished with 19 points, 13 assists and six steals. Paul Miller added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Ryle Owens contributed 10 points.