BANNER ELK, N.C. –
Drew Gardner finished with 19 points to become the 10th player in program history to reach the 1,000-career point plateau, while
Malik McConnell chipped in a game-high 21 points, to lead the Lees-McRae men's basketball team to an 85-75 win over Erskine in the team's first action of the Spring semester.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 85; Erskine – 75
LOCATION: McNair & Debi Tornow Court – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (8-3/6-2), Erskine (1-11/1-7)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Gardner shot 6 of 12 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free throw line, while McConnell was 12 of 14 from the charity stripe to go along with four assists.
- Jaylin Stewart shot 5of 7 from the field for 11 points off the bench, while Sidney Dollar scored eight points off a pair of fast break dunks and four rebounds.
- Cale Harris chipped in nine points and seven rebounds.
- Erskine sprinted out to an early lead by scoring 17 of the first 25 points, but the Bobcats responded by using a layup by London England to take a 26-25 lead.
- Lees-McRae closed the half on a buzzer-beating layup by Dollar to claim a 40-36 lead at intermission.
- Both teams traded baskets for the majority of the second, with neither team holding more than a five point lead.
- The Bobcats used an 8-0 run, fueled by a pair of three-point field goals by Timon Jones and Gardner, to shift momentum and take a 72-62 lead with four minutes left.
- Lees-McRae finished 8 of 8 from the charity stripe down the stretch to clinch the conference win.
- The Bobcats shot over 50 percent from the field in the contest and held a 23-8 edge in points off turnovers.
FOR THE FOES:
- Jaylen Prioleau and Jalen Edwards both scored in double figures to lead the Flying Fleet.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will next host North Greenville in another conference contest on Tuesday, Jan. 11 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).
