BANNER ELK, N.C. – Four Bobcats scored in double figures, led by
Jamarius Hairston who scored a career-high 23 points, but it was not enough as King shot 6 for 8 from the free-throw line in the final 49 seconds to hold on for a 99-96 win over host Lees-McRae in the Conference Carolinas showdown this afternoon.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King (Tenn.) – 99, Lees-McRae – 96
LOCATION: Williams Gymnasium – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: King (Tenn.) (6-10/5-9), Lees-McRae (5-1/5-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Hairston shot 7 of 12 from the floor and 7 of 8 from the charity stripe to lead the Bobcats, while also chipping in four rebounds and two blocks.
- Quay Kimble added 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals, while Anthony Hicks finished with 12 points and three assists.
- Cale Harris chipped in 10 points and four rebounds off the bench.
- Both teams matched each other point-for-point in the opening minutes until a 12-4 run by the Bobcats pushed the lead to 22-14 with eight minutes left in the first stanza.
- King responded with a run of its own and used a late three-point field goal to take a 39-38 halftime lead.
- The Tornado held a double-digit lead at multiple points in the second half, but the Bobcats slowly chipped away until Kimble connected on a three-point field goal with 1:45 left to even the score at 91-91.
- King held Lees-McRae to only five points in the final stretch to claim the highly-contested conference victory.
- Lees-McRae held a 39-20 edge in fast break points but was outscored 25-10 in second-chance points.
FOR THE FOES:
- Darron Howard scored a team-high 21 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists.
- JaMarquis Johnson tallied 13 points, while Isaiah Curry and Damion Ottman each posted 12 points.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats visit Belmont Abbey in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off, before hosting the Crusaders next Tuesday at 7 p.m.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics) and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
