YOUNG HARRIS, GA – Sophomore guards Detrek Browning and Mike Davis Jr. each scored 20 points to top four scorers in double digits for Francis Marion University, but Young Harris College used a three-pointer at the buzzer to defeat the Patriots 75-74 Saturday night (Jan. 16) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action. FMU held a 14-point lead midway through the second half, but some foul trouble allowed Young Harris to claw its way back into the game going down the stretch.

The Patriots (9-7, 2-6) will return home to the Smith University Center for the next two contests in Peach Belt Conference play. FMU will play host to North Georgia on Monday (Jan. 18) with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m., following the completion of the women's game.

Following Browning and Davis Jr. was junior guard Alante Fenner, who finished with 16 points and sophomore 6-7 forward Judah Alexander picked up his third double-double of the season by registering 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Alexander finished off a beautiful dunk with 14:58 left to play in the first half to give FMU a 7-4 lead and some early momentum. The momentum, however, would be short lived as the Mountain Lions (9-8, 7-1) put together a 7-0 run with 12:59 remaining to take an 11-7 lead. Junior guard C.J Wilson led the attack en route to an eventual game high 30 points.

Trailing by as many as six points with 8:34 remaining in the first half, Browning hit a big three-pointer followed by a layup for a quick five points to cut the deficit to 25-24. Fenner would then go to work as he hit back-to-back layups to give FMU the 28-25 lead with 3:12 remaining.

Young Harris tied the game 28-28 with 50 seconds left after earning a pair of late free throws on a foul by Browning. The Patriots looked to have a chance to beat the buzzer heading into the locker room, but a three-point attempt from sophomore A.J. Jackson wouldn't fall.

Alexander would start a huge run early on in the second half for FMU as his pair of free throws made it 32-30 in favor of the Patriots with 17:34 left to play. The next two-and-a-half minutes would see the lead open up to 41-30 thanks to an 11-0 offensive run by the Patriots and eight points from Davis Jr. The Mountain Lions wouldn't go away without a fight as they started a rally in the final three minutes of the game.

With FMU holding a 69-61 lead, Young Harris would rattle off nine straight points to complete the comeback on their home court. The Mountain Lions would take a brief 70-69 lead by hitting one of two free throws, but that would be quickly thwarted by a huge three-point shot from Browning.

The Mountain Lions tied the game at 72-72 with 1:18 left on the clock, but saw that turn into a deficit with four ticks left on the clock thanks to a jump shot from Fenner as the Patriots looked poised to pick up the win. Wilson had different plans though as he sent the home crowd into a frenzy by draining the game-winning shot from three-point range to beat the final buzzer and drop the Patriots 75-74.

Francis Marion shot 44.4 percent (28-of-63) from the field, was 7-of-21 from behind the three-point arc, and hit 11-of-19 free throws, while Young Harris connected on 46.4 percent of its shots, was 5-of-18 from long range, and hit 18-of-31 free throws.