BANNER ELK, N.C. – In what was reminiscent of a heavyweight fight, the King University men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker at rival Lees-McRae College on Tuesday night. In a contest that featured 11 ties and 16 lead changes, it appeared a pair of
Michael Mays free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining would give King the victory. However, the Bobcats countered with three free throws with 0.3 seconds remaining to stun the Tornado and take the 81-80 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Lees-McRae 81, King 80
LOCATION: Williams Gymnasium; Banner Elk, N.C.
RECORDS: King 3-2, 1-2 Conference Carolinas; Lees-McRae 4-1, 2-0 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- The opening 20 minutes was a slugfest back-and-forth as the Bobcats held the advantage the majority of the period.
- Scoring was tough to come by early, but King scored six straight points, four from Connor Jordan and two from Darron Howard to take a 9-7 lead six minutes into the contest.
- The lead then changed hands three times over the next four minutes as a Brandon Lamberth jump shot gave King a 17-16 lead.
- However, Lees-McRae responded with five straight points to regain the lead before the score was knotted at 21.
- The Bobcats broke at tie at 25 with nine consecutive points, opening up a 34-25 lead before a J'Son Brooks layup for the Tornado.
- King trailed by 11, but the Tornado scored the final six points of the half, four from Isaiah Curry around a Howard basket to cut the Lees-McRae lead to 38-33 at the half.
Second Half
- Lees-McRae scored the first basket of the second half, but King came back with 11 straight points to take a 44-40 lead.
- Brooks started the spurt with a basket and ended it with an old fashioned three-point play while Howard added a triple and dunk.
- The score was even at 44 before a 9-2 Tornado run, capped by a Mays trifecta, gave King a 53-46 lead with 13 minutes remaining.
- Lees-McRae worked their way back and regained a 56-55 lead as the teams then traded the lead over the final 10 minutes.
- King trailed 75-69 with two minutes remaining before a Mays layup got the King offense going.
- A pair of Connor Jordan free throws and a Howard layup evened the score at 75 with one minute remaining.
- The Tornado defense forced a Lees-McRae turnover and Mays connected from long range to give King a 78-75 lead with 37 seconds to go.
- However, the Bobcats answered with a trifecta, evening the tally with 20 seconds remaining.
- Mays was fouled a midcourt with 5.4 seconds remaining and made both free throws, giving King an 80-78 lead.
- It looked as though the Tornado would escape with a win as Lees-McRae took a desperation three-point shot from near midcourt, but a foul was called on the King, awarding Lees-McRae three free throws.
- Justin Nichelson made all three attempts from the charity stripe with 0.3 seconds remaining, giving Lees-McRae the 81-80 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Mays led King with 19 points while Howard followed with 13 points.
- Lamberth chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.
- Curry accounted for eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
- King scored 26 points off 21 Lees-McRae turnovers, but Lees-McRae shot 54.8 percent from the floor while King shot 44.3 percent.
FOR THE FOES
- Malik McConnell led Lees-McRae with 19 points while Nichelson added 11 points and seven rebounds.
- The Bobcats had 48 points scored off the bench, led by McConnell and Nichelson.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The 13 rebounds for Curry set a career high. His previous best of 12 came on February 16, 2019 at North Greenville University.
UP NEXT
- The Tornado travel to Francis Marion University on Friday night. Tipoff from Florence, S.C. is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
- Lees-McRae travels to UNC Pembroke on Friday night.
