Gaffney, S.C. | The Young Harris College men's basketball team started off their season 1-1 overall, bringing one win back home to the Enchanted Valley over the course of the two-day tournament. On Friday (Nov. 8) afternoon, Young Harris opened their regular season against Georgia College; when the dust settled, the Mountain Lions came out of Timken Center victorious, winning, 60-52.  

In game two, which took place on Saturday (Nov. 9) afternoon, the YHC men's basketball team went to battle against the Nighthawks from the University of North Georgia. UNG had a strong showing in the first half, taking a 45-32 lead into the locker rooms. In the second half, the Mountain Lions played much better, outscoring the Nighthawks, 49-39. With the game tied at 80 with under 40 seconds to play, UNG took over and scored four unanswered points to eventually win 84-81. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: (Game One Vs. Georgia College) 

• The Mountain Lions played strong defense and transitional offense in the first half, taking a nine-point lead into halftime. 

• Young Harris played sustainably in the second half to maintain their lead and take down GCSU 60-52. 

• Carl Cleveland led the Mountain Lions with 19 points and added six rebounds. 

• Karl Chavis (14 points) and Cole Deptula (11 points) were the next two leading scorers for YH. 

• Cameron Bleshoy brought down nine boards, with an assist and two steals. 

• The two leading scorers for the Bobcats were Ian Davis (15 points) and Luke Krawczyk (13 points).  

• YHC shot 45.7% from the field and GCSU shot just 29.1 percent. 

• The Mountain Lions held their lead for the entirety of the game. 

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE: (Game Two Vs. UNG) 

• The Mountain Lions had a slow start to the first half but recovered in the second to give themselves a chance to win, tied with less than 40 seconds left. 

• Karl Chavis led YHC in points with 17 and led the team with two steals. 

• Carl Cleveland (16 points), Kolbe Ashe (15 points), and Cole Deptula (15 points) played great offensively for YH. 

• Cleveland recorded his first double-double of the 2024-25 season. 

• Cayden Charles dominated offensively for the Nighthawks in their victory, scoring 34 points; shooting 10-13 from the field and 11-14 from the charity stripe. 

• Young Harris shot 46.9% and UNG shot 49.1 percent. 

UP NEXT:  

The Young Harris College men's basketball team will travel to Salisbury, North Carolina on Wednesday (Nov. 13) to face Catawba College at 7 p.m., with the game being held at Goodman Arena.