AIKEN, S.C. | Niaya White led Young Harris College with 18 points as the Mountain Lions recorded a 71-56 Peach Belt Conference women's basketball victory over the University of South Carolina-Aiken Saturday (Feb. 15) afternoon at the Convocation Center.

The Mountain Lions secured their first winning season since the 2013-14 campaign as they improved to 15-9, while the Pacers fell to 14-10. Young Harris and USC Aiken are currently tied for fifth place in the league at 9-7. Young Harris will return to action with a 5:30 p.m. PBC encounter Wednesday (Feb. 19) against Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia.

Young Harris took the lead for good at 14-13 after Carly Winters hit a three-pointer with 2:21 left in the first quarter. That was part of a 15-4 run by the Mountain Lions over the final three and a half minutes of the first period that saw YHC lead 24-16 after back-to-back three-pointers from White and Sarah Woghiren.

The Mountain Lions extended their lead to 11 points (34-23) after a Winters three-pointer with 2:34 left before halftime.  

YHC, which led 34-26 at the half, took control of the game in the third quarter as the Mountain Lions outscored the Pacers 18-9 in the period. Young Harris scored nine unanswered points - on a Woghiren three-pointer that was bookended by three-pointers from Bria Clemmons -  to open up a 17-point lead (45-28) with 5:40 left.  The Mountain Lions sank a season-high 11 three-pointers in the win.

Young Harris took its largest lead - 22 points (69-47) - on a Mackenzie Johnson jumper with 2:06 left in the fourth quarter.

Young Harris outscored USC Aiken in the paint 30-24, in second-chance points (11-8) and fastbreak points (14-7). YHC scored 22 points of 13 Pacer turnovers.

White also grabbed six rebounds for YHC. Woghiren and Winters each added 14 points. Woghiren recorded a double double as she pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, while Winters grabbed six rebounds. Clemmons contributed nine points and six assists.

Chesney Gardner led USC Aiken with 14 points, while Kwajelin Farrar added 12 points and 14 rebounds.