BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lees-McRae men's basketball battled back from a three-point halftime deficit to defeat Johnson 100-87 on Monday afternoon on the McNair & Debi Tornow Court.
Ja'Quavian Florence led the Bobcats with 20 points on 8-11 shooting and added four steals, two assists, and one block.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 100; Johnson – 87
LOCATION: McNair & Debi Tornow Court – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (9-3/3-1); Johnson (6-5/5-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- LJ Rogers knotted the score at three points after answering a three by Johnson's Dallas Carbaugh in the opening minutes. The Bobcats went on 8-0 run to take the 15-10 after a layup from Nigel Okwakol.
- Jeremy Golson buried his first three of the game with 13:59 remaining in the first half at 18-11. The Royals tied the score at 18-18 after a 7-0 run, but Nico Ashley stopped the run on a three of his own with 10:51 left in the opening frame.
- Johnson regained the lead and built their advantage to five points on a fastbreak layup via Toris Woods. Lees-McRae cut into the five-point deficit and trailed 48-45 off a made basket from Jaylin Stewart at the end of the first half.
- The Royals continued their success in the second half after a three from Carbaugh put Johnson up by nine with 14:40 to play in the second half. Lees-McRae chipped away once again and retook the one-point lead at 61-60 off a 10-0 scoring.
- The two teams traded leads throughout the middle stages of the second half, but the Bobcats took the lead and regained momentum after a three from Timon Jones. Lees-McRae collected the victory by a final of 100-87 after a fastbreak dunk from Sidney Dollar.
- As a team, Lees-McRae shot 56.1% (37-66) from the field with 10 three-pointers and 16-20 from the charity stripe. The Bobcats recorded 60 points off the bench and scored 25 points off Johnson's 22 turnovers.
- Stewart followed Florence with a season-high 18 points on an efficient 8-10 from the field and 2-2 from the free-throw line. Rodney Smith registered his third consecutive game in double-digit scoring with 14 on a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line. Rogers and Nico Ashley rounded out the Bobcats in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
FOR THE ROYALS:
- Five Royals registered double-digit points in today's contest with Mahlique Oates scoring 22 points on 7-10 shooting and 7-8 from the free-throw line. Woods followed with 18 and Dallas Carbaugh chipped in 16 on four three-pointers.
- Isaiah Poore and Bernie McGuinness scored 10 points apiece in the game.
UP NEXT:
Lees-McRae men's basketball heads to Harrogate, Tennessee for a non-conference game with Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, December 30. The contest with the Railsplitters is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip-off.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on X (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
