BANNER ELK, N.C.-Despite Kyle Boardman's second double-double
and 26 points, tying a career high, the Lees-McRae College Bobcats
men's basketball team (1-16, 1-6) lost to the Belmont Abbey College
Crusaders (7-4, 4-1), 81-60, in Conference Carolinas action in
Williams Gymnasium Wednesday night.
Boardman's (Clemmons, N.C.) game high 26 points and 11 rebounds led
all players. The freshman center was 8-16 from the floor, 2-4 from
behind the three-point line and 8-9 from the free throw line for
the Bobcats. Stephen Haymer (Fayetteville, N.C.) was the only
other Bobcat in double figures with a career high 17 points.
The Abbey had four players in double digits. Jonathan Jackson had
20 points, Richard Barbee had 19 points, Chad Patus had 11 points
and Chris McDowell had 10 points. Patus grabbed a team high eight
rebounds and Deonte Jackson dished out a game high seven
assists.
Haymer tied the game at four with 16:52 on the clock, but Jackson
answered with a field goal to secure the lead for the
Crusaders.
A Sam Youse (Winston-Salem, N.C.) field goal gave the game the
third and final tie at 14 with just under 12 minutes remaining in
the half, but Barbee got his own rebound and made the put back to
give The Abbey a two point lead, 16-14, on the next possession.
But, the Bobcats fought back with a Boardman three to take their
only lead of the game, 17-16, only to yield to the Crusaders on the
next possession on another Barbee basket to give the Crusaders the
lead for good at 18-17 with 9:38 on the clock in the first
half.
A Stephen Haymer field goal would cut the lead to three, 24-21,
with six and a half minutes remaining, but Jackson answered with a
three to spark a 10-0 run for the Crusaders giving them a 13 point
lead, 34-21 with three minutes left.
Heading into the lockers rooms a Boardman three reduced the lead to
six, 36-30.
Lees-McRae outshot Belmont Abbey in the first half. The Bobcats
were 13-33, 39 percent, from the floor and 2-10, 20 percent from
the three-point arc. The Abbey was 13-35, 37 percent, overall and
1-8, 12 percent, from three.
In the second half, Haymer converted an old-fashion three-point
play for the Bobcats to cut the lead to 42-41 with 17:35 left.
The Bobcats remained closed and only trailed by two, 50-48, after a
Boardman three point play, but The Abbey responded with a 22-3 run
to extend lead to 19, 72-53 with just over three minutes to
play.
The Abbey would finish the game with a 21-point lead, 81-60, for
the final.
The Abbey finished the second half with a 58 percent, 14-24,
shooting percentage from the floor and 33 percent, 2-6 shooting
percent from behind the three-point line. The Bobcats went 30
percent, 9-30, from the floor and were 0-12 from three point range
in the second half.
The Crusaders had 24 points from the free throw stripe compared to
14 for the Bobcats. They also went to the line 15 more times than
the Bobcats.
The Crusaders used 25 Bobcat turnovers to create 24 points while
only yielding 16 turnovers and 14 points to the Bobcats.
The Bobcats will host the Mount Olive College Trojans Saturday,
January 17th at 4 p.m. for their next game.
Box
score
2008-2009
Season Stats
Pictured: Kyle Boardman
