BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lees-McRae men's basketball picked up its largest margin of victory in the all-time series since 2007 against Belmont Abbey this evening with the 88-54 win on the McNair & Debi Tornow Court.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 88; Belmont Abbey – 54
LOCATION: McNair & Debi Tornow Court – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (11-5/5-2); Belmont Abbey (5-12/4-4)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Jaylin Stewart got the Bobcats on the board first with a fastbreak layup off an assist from Timon Jones. Belmont Abbey's Wade Jackson collected a layup with 17:58 left in the first half and knocked in a three on the next offensive possession to give the Crusaders the 6-2 lead.
- Belmont Abbey then held a seven-point margin at the 14:39 mark on two free throws by Jacori Owens. Smith led the Bobcats back into the contest with a three-pointer and connected on a jumper to cut the deficit to two points.
- Nico Ashley sent home a dunk with 11:03 left in the first half to tie the score at 17 points apiece and Ja'Quavian Florence buried a three to give Lees-McRae the three-point lead.
- Lees-McRae built its lead to nine points after a 14-0 scoring run and went into the halftime break with a five-point advantage at 37-32 on a three-point play from Smith.
- Belmont Abbey cut the deficit to three points out of the break, but Lees-McRae pushed the margin to double digits after a basket from Jaylin Stewart at 47-36. Florence pushed the lead to 18 points on a layup with 14:37 remaining in the contest.
- Lees-McRae cruised the rest of the way as the Bobcats went 19-34 (55.88%) from the field in the second half and 9-18 from three-point range. Lees-McRae took the 88-54 victory to end its three-game homestand in Banner Elk.
- Smith scored a game-high 19 points on 7-12 shooting. Jones followed with 15 points on five three-pointers and Stewart joined his teammates in double figures with 13 on an efficient 6-8 from the field.
- LJ Rogers had nine points on 3-7 from three-point range. Nico Ashley tallied seven points, a career-high six blocks, and six rebounds in 29 minutes of action. Sidney Dollar recorded seven points, three rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in tonight's effort.
- The Bobcats had a season-high 12 blocks in tonight's contest and made a season-high 16 baskets from three-point range in the game. The 12 blocks is tied for fifth in the nation for most blocks in the 2023-24 season.
FOR THE CRUSADERS:
- Wade Jackson matched Smith with a game-high 19 points and Jacori Owens followed with 12 points and five boards. Jaylon Simpson rounded out the Crusaders in double figures with 10 points.
UP NEXT:
Lees-McRae men's basketball plays Conference Carolinas member UNC Pembroke on Saturday, Jan. 20 in Pembroke, North Carolina. The contest is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.
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