BANNER ELK, N.C. –
Jamarius Hairston and
Malik McConnell scored 17 and 15 points respectively in their Williams Gymnasium debuts as Lees-McRae shot over 54 percent from the field en route to a 109-77 victory in tonight's season opener in the Williams Gymnasium.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 109, Erskine – 77
LOCATION: Williams Gymnasium – Banner Elk, N.C.
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (1-0/1-0), Erskine (0-1/0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Hairston paced the Bobcats by shooting 6 of 11 from the field and 2 for 6 from distance.
- McConnell shot 4 of 5 and connected on six of his seven free throws to go along with three assists and two steals.
- Anthony Hicks chipped in 14 points and five assists, while Justin Nichelson and Quay Kimble each added 10 points and combined for 11 assists.
- Gabe Bryant finished with seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.
- Erskine opened the contest by scoring 10 of the first 14 points to take an early lead, but the Bobcats reclaimed the lead only three minutes later and used a layup by Hairston and a free throw from McConnell to take a 54-42 halftime lead.
- Lees-McRae opened the second half on a 24-8 run and never looked back as the Bobcats held a double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest.
- The Bobcats shot 88 percent (23-26) from the free throw line and held a 56-30 edge in bench points to claim their first conference win.
FOR THE FOES:
- Jalen Miller paced the Flying Fleet with 17 points, nine rebounds and five steals.
- Rod Culver and Travis Walters each added 14 points.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats return to the Williams Gymnasium on Friday as they host Mount Olive at 7:30 p.m.
