BELMONT, NC-- Belmont Abbey freshman guard Richard Barbee broke
a 61-61 tie with a 15 foot jumper with 19 seconds left, and senior
forward Ric Marczenko sealed the win with a pair of free throws
with 2.2 seconds left as the Crusaders held on to defeat Lees-McRae
65-61 in Conference Carolinas action Monday evening at the Wheeler
Center. The Abbey improves to 12-9 overall and 10-4 in Conference
Carolinas, while Lees-McRae slips to 4-16 overall and 4-10 in
Conference Carolinas.
After the Bobcats tied the game at 61 on a Jesse Hoots
(Yadkinville, NC) three-pointer with 45 seconds left, Belmont Abbey
called a timeout with 40 seconds left and ran the clock down, where
Barbee drained a jumper at the free throw line to give the
Crusaders the lead for good. After a Bobcats timeout, Hoots drove
to the basket, and with four seconds left, released a layup that
fell off the side of the rim, where Marczenko cradled his fourth
and final rebound of the night, and was promptly fouled by Raysean
Hairston (Elizabathtown, NC). Marczenko sank both free throws to
seal the win.
The Abbey shot 38.6 percent (22-57) from the field as junior guard
Jonathan Jackson led all scorers with 22 points on 7-17 shooting
from the floor. Marczenko added 14 on 6-13 shooting to go along
with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Barbee finished
with 12 points and six rebounds, and sophomore forward Chad Patus
notched a double double with 11 points and a career-high 14
rebounds, 13 on the defensive glass. Guard Deonte Murphy finsihed
with four assists and five steals.
Lees-McRae was led Hairston's 13 points, while Nick DeSchepper
(Fishers, IN) and Aaron Willey (Kingsport, TN) both finished with
10 points as the Bobcats shot 41.4 percent (24-58) from the
field.
A youthful squad featuring ten freshman, Head Coach Scott
Polsgrove seems to be guiding his team in the right direction. In
their last five games, the Bobcats have gone 2-3, losing each by an
average of 3.33 points. After twenty games, while their overall
season record may not show it, Polsgrove's freshman laden team
appears to be adjusting to the collegiate game quite nicely as of
late.
The Bobcats will return to action Thursday evening taking on Queens
University of Charlotte on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for
7:30pm.
BOX
SCORE
PICTURED: Rayseasn Hairston
