FLORENCE, SC – Despite a 30-point performance from senior guard Cole Deptula on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 10), the Francis Marion University men's basketball program dropped a 107-86 decision to Young Harris College at the University Center in Conference Carolinas action.

The Patriots (3-11, 3-3) return to divisional play on Tuesday, Jan. 13, with a road matchup at Barton with tip-off set for 7 p.m.

Deptula finished the game shooting 9-of-14 from the field while converting five-of-seven from three-point range in 37 minutes. He also made 7-of-10 from the free-throw line and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. Deptula joined the Patriots this season after playing for two years at Young Harris.

Junior forward Jaiden Cancela scored 13 points on 5-of-10 attempts with two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in 27 minutes. Senior guard Farid SaintCyr Jr. totaled 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 24 minutes off the bench. Fifth-year guard Patrick Antonelli finished with 10 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and one steal in 30 minutes.

Carl Cleveland, the reigning NCAA Division II Conference Information Directors of America (D2CIDA) National Player of the Week, scored a career-high 40 points for the Mountain Lions (10-5, 6-1) on Saturday.

In the first half, the two sides traded baskets through the opening nine minutes of the game with the Mountain Lions holding a 20-18 edge at the 11:07 mark. FMU answered back with eight straight points, including three-pointers from Cancela and Deptula, to take a 26-20 lead. Young Harris rallied to tie the game at 29-29 with 5:53 to go before Cleveland scored 14 points in a three-plus minute stretch to put YHC ahead by a 45-35 margin. The Patriots responded with six unanswered points to cut the deficit to 45-41 in the closing minutes. The Mountain Lions would head into the break with a 49-43 advantage.

Francis Marion quickly closed the gap to 49-48 to begin the second half, but Young Harris countered with a 13-0 run to extend its lead to 62-48 with 16:07 left. YHC remained in control of the contest through the midway point of the half after holding an 84-68 lead. FMU rallied by scoring six consecutive points to trim the deficit to 84-74 with just over six minutes remaining. YHC finished strong, converting eight-of-nine shots in the final five minutes to seal the 107-86 win.

FMU shot at a 48.3 clip (28-of-58) from the floor while going 12-of-28 (42.9 percent) from three-point range. Meanwhile, Young Harris finished the game shooting 63.8 percent (37-of-58) and converted 14-of-22 (63.6 percent) from beyond the arc. The Mountain Lions held a 35-24 rebounding advantage with 40 points in the paint. The Patriots tallied 24 points off the bench and 19 points off turnovers.