SPARTANBURG, S.C. –
Drew Gardner scored a career-high 33 points, the most by a Bobcat in a single game since Feb. 20, 2020, while
London England and
Malik McConnell both posted double-digit points, to lead the Lees-McRae men's basketball team to an 87-80 win over host Converse in the Conference Carolinas action this evening.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 87; Converse – 80
LOCATION: Tom and Tracy Hannah Gymnasium – Spartanburg, South Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (6-2/4-1), Converse (4-4/3-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Gardner finished 11 of 22 from the field, 3 of 7 from distance, and 8 of 9 from the charity stripe to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds to clinch his seventh career double-double.
- England went 3 of 5 from distance for 13 points, while also finishing with a career-high seven rebounds and two assists.
- McConnell chipped in 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists, with Justin Nichelson adding eight points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
- Sidney Dollar tallied five points, eight rebounds, a career-high six assists, two steals, and a block.
- Lees-McRae raced out of the gates by scoring 11 of the first 13 points and used a late layup by Dollar to claim a 49-38 lead at halftime.
- The Bobcats extended the lead to 61-43 on a three-point field goal by Gardner with 16:24 left in the contest.
- Converse slowly chipped away at the deficit and used a three-point field goal with 3:27 remaining to cut the lead to 80-74.
- Gardner and Nichelson knocked down clutch free throws, while McConnell added a fastbreak layup, to help the Bobcats hang on for an 87-80 conference win.
- Lees-McRae held a 56-35 edge in rebounding en route to a 16-1 edge in second-chance points.
- The Valkyries maintained a slim 32-23 edge in bench production, while the Bobcats scored a game-high 42 points in the paint.
FOR THE FOES:
- Elijah Pitts and Sigurd Lorange finished with 23 and 20 points respectively to pace the Valkyries.
- Jimmie Sanders III chipped in 12 points and six assists.
NOTEWORTHY:
- With his 33 points against Converse, senior Drew Gardner is now only 53 points away from reaching the 1,000-point plateau for his career.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will return to Banner Elk next Tuesday, Dec. 14 as they host Mount Olive at 7 p.m. in the team's final home competition of the Fall 2021 semester.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
