Banner Elk, NC – Southern Wesleyan dropped the first game of the year to the Lees-McRae Bobcats in a 73-54 final score on Wednesday night.

The Warriors shot 27% from the field in the loss.  Brooke Henricks led the Warriors with 14 points.  She was followed by Tristen Berry with 12 points and Amy Soumare with 10.  Lonesha Lee recorded three of the 11 assists of the evening.  While both Soumare and Diamond Ellison each had two.  Soumare led the team with two blocks in the game.  Southern Wesleyan recorded seven steals with Soumare and Berry each have two.  Soumare collected 11 rebounds during the game to give her a double-double.
 

Game Vitals

Final: Lees-McRae 73, Southern Wesleyan 54

Records: Southern Wesleyan (0-1 / CC 0-1) Lees-McRae (1-0 / CC 1-0)
 

How It Happened

Southern Wesleyan took an early lead as Brooke Henricks laid the ball up to put the Warriors on top 2-0 to start.  The Bobcats quickly countered to tie it up, but it was short lived as Henricks regained the ball and put it back into the net to put Southern Wesleyan back on top 4-2.  The Warriors thwarted all the Bobcats attempts in the first quarter pushing their lead to 10-2 by the end of the first quarter.

Lees-McRae picked up the pressure in the second quarter as Destiny Johnson made 3-point shots to allow the Bobcats to tie the game at 10.  The Warriors countered the Bobcats challenge though as freshman Tristen Berry sunk a 3-pointer to put Southern Wesleyan ahead 14-12.  The Bobcats put up a run as Jala Holloman sunk several threes to push Lees-McRae ahead of the Warriors 21-15.  A three pointer by Caroline Reese kept the Warriors within three points of the Bobcats.  Despite several baskets by Amy Soumare, the Warriors trailed the Bobcats 31-22 at the half.

The Warriors kicked off the third quarter with a jump shot by Soumare off an assist by Lonesha Lee to put the Warriors down 24-31.  However, back-to-back jump shots by Malikah Meyers of the Bobcats allowed Lees-McRae to take a 11-point advantage over Southern Wesleyan.  The Warriors would not be phased those as Reese sunk a 3-pointer to keep the Warriors within 10-points of the Bobcats.  Berry sunk another three point shot to put Southern Wesleyan within seven points.

Lees-McRae continued to distance themselves as Arriana Lizarraga made a 3-pointer to put the Bobcats on top 38-57.  Despite trailing to Lees-McRae, Southern Wesleyan continued to fight as Berry sunk another 3-point basket.  Free throw baskets by Henricks put Southern Wesleyan down 51-69 to Lees-McRae.  Despite a 3-pointer by Essence Sims the Warriors fell to the Bobcats in a 73-54 final.
 

What's Next

Southern Wesleyan will remain on the road on January 18 as they travel to Due West, SC to take on the Erskine College Flying Fleet at 2 p.m.  They will then host their season home opener on January 19 as they welcome the Belmont Abbey Crusaders to Historic Tysinger Gymnasium at 5 p.m.