COLUMBUS, Ga. | Young Harris College used a 23-11 fourth-quarter effort to rally past Columbus State University 71-64 in a Peach Belt Conference women's basketball game Saturday (Jan. 25) afternoon at the Lumpkin Center.

The Mountain Lions won their third consecutive game as they improved to 12-6 overall and to 6-4 in the Peach Belt, while the Cougars fell to 12-4 and 7-3. The 12 wins for Young Harris are the most since the Mountain Lions won 19 games in the 2013-14 season. Young Harris returns to action Wednesday (Jan. 29) when they host its Blood Mountain rival University of North Georgia in a 5:30 p.m. PBC contest at the YHC Basketball Arena. The game against the 14th-ranked Nighthawks will also be the annual Purple Out game for the Mountain Lions.

Young Harris led 32-26 at halftime, but found themselves trailing 53-48 after three quarters after Columbus State outscored the Mountain Lions 27-16 in the period.

The Cougars pushed their lead to 11 points (60-49) on a LeeAysia Williamson layup with 8:02 left in the fourth quarter. It would be the final field goal for Columbus State the remainder of the game as the Mountain Lions limited CSU to 21.4 percent shooting (3-of-14) from the field.Young Harris held the Cougars scoring for the next 6:46 as the Mountain Lions, who shot 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from the field in the final 10 minutes, reeled off 17 unanswered points to open up a 66-60 lead after Sarah Woghiren hit a jumper in the paint with 1:28 left. 

CSU got it within four points (66-62) after Kaihla Carter sank two free throws 12 seconds later, but Bria Clemmons swished a jumper in the paint with 46 seconds left to reclaim the six-point advantage for the Mountain Lions.

Carly Winters led the Mountain Lions with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-8 from long distance. Niaya White added 14 points, while Clemmons added 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Woghiren also finished in double figures with 10 points.

Williamson led Columbus State with 29 points.