BELMONT, N.C. – Belmont Abbey used a strong first half to overcome five Bobcats scoring in double figures en route to claiming a 96-92 victory over the Lees-McRae men's basketball team in the Conference Carolinas showdown this evening.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Belmont Abbey – 96; Lees-McRae - 92
LOCATION: Wheeler Center – Belmont, North Carolina
RECORDS: Belmont Abbey (14-4/12-3), Lees-McRae (5-2/5-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Malik McConnell finished with a team-high and season-high 22 points on 7 of 10 shooting.
- Anthony Hicks chipped in 20 points and four rebounds, while Jamarius Hairston added 16 points and two rebounds.
- Andrew Gardner and Quay Kimble tallied 14 and 11 points respectively.
- Both teams matched each other point-for-point in the opening minutes, until the Crusaders used a 23-4 run to shift momentum and take an early 35-17 lead.
- After Belmont Abbey connected on a jumper to extend the lead to 50-37 with 1:12 remaining in the half, the Bobcats closed with a pair of free throws by McConnell and a layup by Kimble to cut the deficit to 50-41 at halftime.
- The Crusaders pushed the lead back to double-digits at multiple points in the second half, but Lees-McRae closed the gap to 69-67 on a three-point field goal by Gardner with 9:29 left in the contest.
- Belmont Abbey maintained a sizable lead down the stretch, with the Bobcats trimming the deficit to 93-90 with 16 seconds remaining, and tallied three free throws on the final two possessions to escape with the victory.
- The Crusaders held a 41-26 rebounding edge, but were outscored 38-16 in points off turnovers and 42-32 in points in the painted area.
FOR THE FOES:
- Six Crusaders scored in double figure figures, led by LJ McCoy who scored 21 point off the bench.
- Quest Aldridge and Sean Halloran each finished with 17 points, with Aldridge tallying a game-high nine assists.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats visit North Greenville on Monday, Feb. 22 for a Conference Carolinas showdown starting at 5 p.m.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics) and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
