BANNER ELK, N.C. –
Malik McConnell tallied a game-high 18 points, four rebounds, six assists, and three steals, while
London England and
Sidney Dollar combined for 22 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the Lees-McRae men's basketball team to an 81-72 win over visiting Converse and move to 5-1 on the McNair & Debi Tornow Court.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 81; Converse – 72
LOCATION: McNair & Debi Tornow Court – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (10-3/8-2), Converse (5-11/4-6)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- McConnell shot 5 of 9 from the floor and shot 8-10 of the charity stripe to pace the Bobcats in scoring.
- England finished 4 of 8 from behind the three-point line for 12 points, while Dollar shot 4 of 8 from the floor for 10 points to go along with seven rebounds and two steals.
- Carter Phillips and Jamarius Hairston both chipped in eight points, while Cale Harris added a game-high 10 rebounds and Timon Jones tallied six points on a pair of three-point field goals.
- After a back-and-forth opening few minutes, Lees-McRae used a 13-2 run to shift momentum and take an early lead.
- The Bobcats maintained their lead for the majority of the first stanza and used a late jumper by Follie Bogan to hold a 32-24 halftime lead.
- Lees-McRae extended its lead to 53-36 on a three-point field goal by Hairston with 11:47 remaining in the contest.
- Converse closed the gap to four points with 2:15 left in the game.
- The Bobcats used a pair of late free throws by Harris in the final minute to clinch the conference win.
- Lees-McRae held a 33-6 lead in bench production and outscored the Valkyries 26-17 in fastbreak points.
FOR THE FOES:
- Sigurd Lorange finished with a team-high 18 points, while Elijah Pitts and Jay Mitchell chipped in 15 and 13 points respectively.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will hit the road on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. for a "Battle for the Blue Ridge Cup" showdown with rival King in Bristol, Tennessee.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
