BANNER ELK, N.C. –
Destiny Johnson scored a game-high 27 points to become the 12th player in program history to reach 1,000-career points in program history, while
Jessica Henderson and
Malikah Meyers also scored in double figures, to lead the Lees-McRae women's basketball to the upset victory over UNC Pembroke on Senior Day.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 79, UNC Pembroke – 70
LOCATION: McNair & Debi Tornow Court – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (5-12/5-10), UNC Pembroke (13-8/11-6)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Johnson shot 9 of 16 from the field and 5 of 9 from distance to lead the Bobcats in scoring to go along with seven rebounds and two assists.
- Henderson shot 8 of 8 from the charity stripe for 15 points off the bench.
- Meyers connected on four three-pointers for 12 points to go with six rebounds and three steals.
- MaKayla Smith and Jala Holloman chipped nine and eight points respectively.
- Lees-McRae sprinted out of the gates by hitting eight of their first nine shots to take an early 18-7 lead and held on for a 21-11 edge after 10 minutes of action.
- UNC Pembroke chipped away at the lead for the opening minutes of the second quarter and trimmed the deficit to 37-33 at halftime.
- Lees-McRae outscored the visitors 15-13 in the third stanza and used a late jumper by Henderson to claim a 52-46 lead at the final intermission.
- The Bobcats extended the lead back to double digits on a pair of free throws by Johnson with 7:49 left in the game.
- Stephanie Kucy connected on a three-point field goal with 1:49 left to clinch the win.
- The Braves held a 28-8 advantage in points in the painted area, but were outscored 39-24 in shots from distance.
FOR THE FOES:
- Gabby Smith finished with 20 points and six rebounds to pace the Braves, while Courtney Smith and Zaria Clark scored in double figures.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcat will return to the McNair & Debi Tornow Court on Monday, Feb. 7 as they host Erskine 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).
