TIGERVILLE, S.C. --- Senior Austin Anderson registered his 10th game of 20 points or more, but the Lees-McRae men's basketball team dropped a physical 78-73 contest to North Greenville in Conference Carolinas play Friday evening at Hayes Gymnasium in Tigerville, S.C.
The Crusaders (11-17, 7-13 CC) shot 52.7% from the field while Justin Dotson turned in a double-double off the bench with 20 points and 12 rebounds. The Bobcats (16-14, 12-8) clinch the No. 3 seed in the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Tournament.
Coach Steve Hardin's team will host a postseason contest for the first time in school history when they welcome No. 6-seeded Limestone Tuesday, March 1 at 7 p.m.
Four LMC players scored six points off the bench each.
Junior Chad Hicks (Winston-Salem, N.C.) knocked down a jumper at the 15:51 mark while LMC led 9-4.
NGU ripped off a 13-0 run over the next 3:41.
The Crusaders' Matt Moore and LMC's Darius Malbon (Hickory, N.C.) exchanged three pointers while NGU held a 22-14 advantage.
The home squad led by about 10 for most of the first half until a Cameron Redd (Garner, N.C.) jumper and Jonathan Honore (Baton Rouge, La.) triple cut the deficit to six, 37-31.
The Bobcats hit 11 3's in the contest.
Anderson drained a trio of jumpers in the early goings of the second half to tie it at 39.
LMC's next four buckets were from behind the arc before another Anderson jumper put LMC up, 55-54, with 8:54 remaining.
The game remained tight while neither team would lead by more than three until the 3:11 mark.
NGU's Korval McElory hit a free throw, putting his team up 69-65.
He and Dotson put together a 6-0 run in a 54-second span to push the lead to seven, 77-70.
Redd scored on a tip-in prior to the run, 71-70.
Junior Josh Gaither (Statesville, N.C.) drained a three with 10 ticks on the clock, but, McElory iced it with a free throw.
Anderson led the squad with seven rebounds.
LMC and Limestone split during the regular season, with both teams winning on its home court.
- LMC -
