COLUMBUS, Ga. | The Young Harris College men's basketball team fell 87-78 in a hard-fought matchup against Columbus State University on Friday (Dec. 20) morning. Despite a strong offensive performance, the Cougars' efficient shooting and late-game execution proved too much for the Mountain Lions to overcome. 

Columbus State outpaced Young Harris 41-29 in the first half to start the game; the second half featured a better performance from YHC, as the Mountain Lions outscored the Cougars, 49-46. A balanced attack and stellar play from Jarrett Adderton, who led all scorers with 27 points, propelled the Cougars to the win. The Mountain Lions made a late push but couldn't close the gap. Cameron Bleshoy dropped a season-high 17 points in the contest. 

Young Harris dropped to 9-4 overall, while Columbus State improved to 9-1 on the season.

QUOTE FROM HEAD COACH JEREMY CURRIER:
"I am proud of our players resilience. Columbus took a large lead in the second half and our guys fought back and gave us a chance to win. Rather than folding, our players displayed player leadership and togetherness when adversity hit." Continuing, "We have played a very challenging schedule this semester, with 8 of 13 games on the road and have faced four different teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament last March. I am excited about our team and where we are headed. Our players have a much needed break for Christmas- and we look forward to getting back to the practice floor on December 30th. We will continue to improve and work towards becoming the best team we can be when we get back to Conference Carolinas play on January 8th when we face Shorter."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: 

• Karl Chavis led the Mountain Lions with 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range, while adding four rebounds and five assists. 

• Cameron Bleshoy was highly efficient, contributing 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting, along with seven rebounds. 

• Carl Cleveland added 16 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, shooting 7-of-13 from the floor. 

• Jarrett Adderton paced the Cougars with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting, adding two rebounds and two blocks. 

• Jehloni James contributed 19 points for CSU, shooting an impressive 7-of-10 from the floor, while grabbing four rebounds. 

• The Mountain Lions shot 49.1% (28-of-57) from the field and 44.4% (12-of-27) from three-point range. 

• Young Harris capitalized on second chances, scoring 19 points off offensive rebounds. 

• The team recorded 13 points off the bench and scored 32 points in the paint. 

• The Cougars shot 57.7% (30-of-52) from the field and 44.4% (8-of-18) from beyond the arc. 

UP NEXT: 

The Mountain Lions will recharge with some much-needed time off after such a stellar start to their 2024-25 season campaign. Young Harris returns to action in nineteen days at The Harp against Shorter University on Wednesday (Jan. 8) evening.