BANNER ELK, N.C. –
Quay Kimble,
Justin Nichelson and
Jamarius Hairston all scored in double figures as Lees-McRae shot over 60 percent from the field in the second half to secure the team's second win of the new season with a 102-66 win over Mount Olive to close out the basketball doubleheader this evening.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 102, Mount Olive – 66
LOCATION: Williams Gymnasium – Banner Elk, N.C.
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (2-0/2-0), Mount Olive (0-1/0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Kimble paced the Bobcats with 21 points on 6 of 10 shooting to go along with five assists and a steal.
- Nichelson added a career-high 17 points on 75 percent shooting and tallied three rebounds, while Hairston chipped in 13 points.
- Sidney Dollar and Malik McConnell finished with nine point each and had a combined six rebounds.
- Lees-McRae, who entered tonight's contest as the highest scoring team in the NCAA Division II, stormed out of gates by connecting on six of their first seven three-point attempts to take an early lead.
- The Trojans closed the gap to one with six minutes left in the first half, but the Bobcats closed the half on a 17-7 run to take a 49-38 halftime lead.
- Lees-McRae held a double-digit margin for the entirety of the second half, including a 36 point lead at multiple occasions, to cruise for the conference victory.
- The Bobcats held a 45-23 edge in rebounding, including tallying 18 offensive rebounds, and outscored the Trojans 51-23 in bench production.
FOR THE FOES:
- Johnny Hughes III finished with a game-high 25 points on 9 of 13 shooting.
- Darius Spragley and Matthias Caver chipped in nine point each in the losing effort.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats host Mount Olive in another Conference Carolinas contest starting tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. in the Williams Gymnasium.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics) and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
