BANNER ELK, N.C. – The Lees-McRae College men's basketball team got back into the win column with 103-98 victory over Emmanuel College Wednesday night at Williams Gymnasium. The victory moves Lees-McRae's record to 12-4 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
The opening 20 minutes of Wednesday's contest were competitive between the Lions and Bobcats. Lees-McRae shot 51.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point range. Emmanuel turned to second chance points and getting to the free throw line (9-for-10) to keep pace with Lees-McRae. Even with the efforts from the Lions, the Bobcats held a slim 44-42 advantage going to the intermission.
When the two teams returned for the second half, there was no shortage of points scored. A total of 115 points were scored in the final 20 minutes by Lees-McRae and Emmanuel. Additionally, the two squads combined to shoot 56 free throws in the second half. The Lions did not have an answer for the Bobcat offense if they did not commit a foul. As a team, Lees-McRae shot a blistering 70.4 percent from the field. Even with the sharp-shooting Bobcats, Emmanuel trailed by just a few possessions in the closing minutes before ultimately falling by a 103-98 final score.
Four different Bobcats finished the night in double figures. The duo of Jason Saintizaire and Andrew Gardner both had 17 points to lead the way, while Kamil Williams and Jerick Haynes both added 16 points each. Diving deeper into the stats, Quay Kimble racked up six steals and five assists in the win and Gardner led Lees-McRae on the glass with five rebounds.
The Bobcats will be back in action on Saturday when they host Chowan University at Williams Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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