ANDERSON, S.C. | The eighth-seeded Young Harris College men's basketball team delivered the biggest wins in program history on Saturday evening, stunning No. 1 seed and host Anderson University 72-69 in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Tournament at the Abney Athletic Center.
The Mountain Lions, the lowest seed in the region, jumped out early and never backed down, knocking off the nationally ranked Trojans to advance in the NCAA Tournament.
Young Harris came out firing in the opening minutes, using hot three-point shooting to build a 19-6 lead in the first seven minutes. The Mountain Lions continued to control the pace and extended the advantage to 32-19 before Anderson responded with a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 32-28 late in the half. Young Harris answered with six straight points and carried a 40-35 lead into halftime after shooting an impressive 55.6 percent from the field in the opening period.
Anderson battled back in the second half and used an 8-0 run to take a 49-48 lead with 11:23 remaining, marking the Trojans' first lead of the night. The teams traded baskets down the stretch before Young Harris broke a 58-58 tie with four straight points to regain control.
The Mountain Lions held a 65-60 lead with two minutes remaining before Anderson cut the deficit to one possession late. With the game hanging in the balance, Justin Payne calmly knocked down three clutch free throws to put Young Harris back in front. Dylan Wolle came off the bench in replacement of Jalen Ware, and added two free throws in the final seconds to seal the dramatic 72-69 victory.
Young Harris shot an efficient 50.0 percent from the floor compared to Anderson's 44.8 percent while also winning the rebounding battle 38-23.
Payne led the Mountain Lions with a game-high 27 points while Jalen Ware delivered a strong performance with 16 points and eight rebounds. Carl Cleveland added 14 points, and Cameron Bleshoy anchored the glass with a dominant 13 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
Anderson was led by Kadyn Dawkins with 21 points, while Osmar Garcia added 16 points and Andre Wright Jr. finished with 13.
With the victory, Young Harris improves to 23-8 on the season and advances to the second round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Tournament.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
• Young Harris shot 50.0 percent (26-of-52) from the field.
• Justin Payne led all scorers with 27 points.
• Jalen Ware added 16 points and eight rebounds.
• Cameron Bleshoy pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.
• Young Harris outrebounded Anderson 38-23.
UP NEXT:
The Mountain Lions advance to the NCAA Southeast Region Semifinals and will face the winner of No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne and No. 5 North Georgia on Sunday evening in Anderson, South Carolina.
