YHC women’s basketball falls to Lander in PBC tourney quarters

The Young Harris College women’s basketball team’s first appearance in the Peach Belt Conference tournament came to an end Wednesday, March 4, with a 66-50 loss to top-seeded Lander University in the quarterfinals at Finis Horne Arena in Greenwood, South Carolina.

The eight-seeded Mountain Lions were led by freshman Carly Winters, who scored 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including hitting four from 3-point range.

Junior Niaya White scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting for the Mountain Lions, who finished the season with a 15-14 record.

Young Harris stayed close with Lander (24-5) through the first quarter as the Bearcats, who are ranked No. 23 nationally, led 16-10 after the first 10 minutes of play.

A 15-4 Lander run in the opening moments of the second quarter allowed the Bearcats to open a 31-14 lead and the team led by as many as 28 points, 58-23, late in the third quarter.

The Mountain Lions refused to go quietly, outscored the Bearcats 21-10 in the fourth to close the gap.

The 15 wins were a nine-game improvement from last season and mark the third-most in the program’s history. The winning season is the first for the women’s basketball team in six years.

Freshman Kalen Surles added eight points, while freshman Mackenzie Johnson added a team-high six rebounds in the loss.