GAFFNEY, S.C. --- Senior Raul Tutton notched a season-high 22 points, but the Lees-McRae men's basketball team dropped a tightly contested Conference Carolinas game at Limestone, 84-79, at the Timken Center Tuesday evening in Gaffney, S.C.
The Saints (2-3, 2-1 CC) had a trio of players register 15 points or more while the team shot 56.4% from the floor. The Bobcats (3-3, 1-2) bullied the home squad on the boards while holding a +13 (47-34) advantage.
Tutton (Memphis, Tenn.) went a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe while grabbing five boards to go with a steal and an assist in 24 minutes.
LC used a trio of three's to jump out to an early 13-6 lead in the first four minutes of play while Shaq Dance chipped in with seven points.
LMC sophomore Chad Hicks (Winston-Salem, N.C.) drained one from deep with 11:28 remaining in the first to cut the deficit to two, 20-18.
A seven-point spurt from Tutton and a pair of buckets from Sean Deniton (Durham, N.C.) gave Coach Steve Hardin's squad a 30-28 lead.
Hicks connected on another three before a Jonathan Honore (Baton Rouge, La.) layup put LMC up 37-35 at the break.
The Saints used a 13-3 run to get some breathing room half way through the second.
A Cameron Redd (Garner, N.C.) bucket and Honore jumper cut the deficit to five, 65-60.
LC ripped off a run 12-2, capped off by an AJ Evans three with 4:15 on the clock.
The Bobcats clawed their way back into it when freshman Keegan Crabtree (Hillsborough, N.C.) splashed a triple and Darius Malbon (Hickory, N.C.) hit a layup with 15 seconds left while trailing 81-77.
Junior Kendall Isler (Winder, Ga.) had a season-high nine rebounds while Hicks and Deniton finished with 10 points apiece.
LMC concludes a three-game road trip with a nonconference tilt at Warren Wilson Thursday at 7 p.m. in Asheville, N.C.
- LMC -
