WILSON, N.C. –
Drew Gardner,
Malik McConnell, and
Jaylin Stewart all scored in double figures, while Gardner posted his 11th-career double-double, to lead the No. 7 Lees-McRae men's basketball team to an 80-73 victory over No. 10 Chowan in the first round of the Conference Carolinas Championships this evening.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 7 Lees-McRae – 80; No. 10 Chowan - 73
LOCATION: Wilson Gymnasium – Wilson, North Carolina
RECORDS: No. 7 Lees-McRae (15-13), No. 10 Chowan (8-18)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Gardner shot 9 of 14 from the floor and 4 of 8 from distance for a game-high 25 points, while also chipping in 10 rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
- McConnell shot 5 of 9 from the field and 6 of 7 from the charity stripe for 17 points, while Stewart added 14 points and two steals off the bench.
- Cale Harris and Timon Jones chipped in six and five points respectively, with Jones adding a team-high four assists.
- Lees-McRae sprinted out of the gates by scoring the first nine points and extended the lead to 23-6 on a layup by McConnell with just under a minute left in the first half.
- Chowan rallied to trim the deficit back under 10 points late in the first stanza, but the Bobcats closed the first half on a jumper by McConnell and an old-fashion three-point play by Stewart to hold a 41-28 halftime lead.
- After Lees-McRae pushed the lead back to 43-28 on the first possession of the first half, the Hawks slowly chipped away at the lead until a shot from distance cut the lead to 61-60 with under eight minutes to play in the game.
- The Bobcats made timely baskets down the stretch to clinch their first playoff win since the 2017-18 season.
- Lees-McRae outscored the Hawks 19-9 in points off turnovers, 28-13 in bench production, and 34-22 in points in the painted area.
FOR THE FOES:
- Five Hawks scored in double figures, led by Christian Koonce with 19 points.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will face No. 6 Barton in the second round of the Conference Carolinas Championships tomorrow 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).
