SCORE
Montevallo 89, Young Harris 83 (OT)
RECORDS
Montevallo (15-7 overall, 9-6 in Peach Belt Conference)
Young Harris (13-10 overall, 7-7 in Peach Belt Conference)
LOCATION
YHC Basketball Arena (Young Harris, Georgia)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Montevallo moved into a tie for first place in Peach Belt Conference West Division standings following a 89-83 victory in overtime on the road at Young Harris in conference play.
Senior Talan Whitaker scored the first eight points in the game for the Falcons to help Montevallo jump out to an early 8-4 lead with 16:57 remaining in the opening half.
The Falcons led by as many as seven points in the first half following a layup by Whitaker with 7:38 left in the half, which gave Montevallo a 26-19 advantage.
Young Harris outscored the Falcons 13-4 down the stretch in the opening half and carried a slim 32-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Montevallo opened the second half with a 7-0 run and took a 37-32 lead following a free throw by junior Jamaar Taylor with 17:37 remaining in the game.
The Falcons took their largest lead in the contest following a 3-pointer by senior Kevin Kelly with 8:13 left in the contest, which gave Montevallo a 54-46 advantage midway through the second half.
Young Harris went on a 17-9 run over the next six minutes and managed to tie the game at 63-63 on a dunk by Corey Nelson with 2:24 remaining in the game.
A jumper by senior Javonte Douglas 21 seconds later allowed the Falcons to retake the lead and Montevallo held on to a slim lead until the final moments.
Douglas missed a pair of potentially game-clinching free throws with two seconds remaining before C.J. Wilson drained a heave from beyond midcourt at the buzzer to tie the score at 71-71 and send the game into overtime.
Kelly scored two early baskets in overtime to keep the Falcons in front. A key steal by senior Tazz Marbury with 22 seconds left in overtime helped the Falcons make it a two-possession game when he knocked down a free throw to push the Falcons' lead to 85-80.
Montevallo made 12-of-14 attempts at the charity stripe in the period to secure the six-point victory.
STAT OF THE GAME
Senior Talan Whitaker scored a career-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor and a 5-of-6 performance at the charity stripe against the Mountain Lions.
UP NEXT
The Falcons will return home to take on Georgia College in a Peach Belt Conference contest Wednesday, February 8 at Trustmark Arena. The Bobcats defeated Montevallo 65-51 in the first meeting between the two teams this season last month in Milledgeville, Georgia. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m.
