Banner Elk, NC – Southern Wesleyan dropped the road contest to the Lees-McRae Bobcats on Saturday in a 98-77 final score.
The Warriors shot 54% from the field and were 66.7% from the free throw line. Three Warriors posted double digits with Raevon Allen leading the team with 12. Marcus Long picked up 11 points and Aaron Tims had 10. Five Warriors had two assists.
Southern Wesleyan totaled 32 rebounds. Aaron Tims and Dyren Brown each led the team with eight boards apiece. Raevon Allen led the team with two of the four steals.
Game Vitals
Final: Lees-McRae 98, Southern Wesleyan 77
Records: Southern Wesleyan (2-14 / CC 1-4) Lees-McRae (10-4 / CC 4-1)
How It Happened
Southern Wesleyan won the first possession of the game which then led to Reco Hallmon putting up the first points of the game. However, Sidney Dollar stole the ball away from the Warriors and dunked it into the basket to tie the game. A floating jump shot by Raevon Allen and then a three pointer by Jonathan Taylor allowed the Warriors to regain the lead. The Bobcats would not relent as Williams Onyeodi and Jaylin Stewart put up back-to-back shots. Griffin Effenberger stepped beyond the arc and sunk his first three point shot of the game. Lees-McRae pushed ahead, but a three pointer by Marcus Long kept the Warriors within four points of the Bobcats. Rodney Smith drove to the basket to lay the ball up and extend the Bobcats lead to 21-16 with just over twelve minutes left in the first half. However, back-to-back baskets by Marcus Long and Raevon Allen put the Warriors right back within three. Southern Wesleyan continued to challenge as Long sent the ball under the basket to Aaron Tims who laid it up into the basket. Sidney Dollar sent the ball beyond the arc to teammate Jeremy Golson for a three pointer. However, seconds later, Matthew Rouse drove the ball to the net for a layup. A dunk by Aaron Tims allowed the Warriors to come to 32-28 behind the Bobcats. Lees-McRae would not relent as Ja'Quavian Florence and Timon Jones each hit jump shots, and then Jeremy Golson drove the ball to the rim to extend the Bobcats lead to eleven. Reco Hallmon passed the ball beyond the arc to Grant Morrison who sunk the ball into the basket. A second three pointer by Morrison put the Warriors back within eight points of the Bobcats. With just over a minute on the clock Nigel Okwakoi hit a three pointer, but the Warriors countered with a three pointer of their own out of the hands of Dyren Brown. A last second dunk by Sidney Dollar allowed Lees-McRae to lead 57-44 going into the locker room.
The Warriors kicked off the scoring in the second half as Marcus Long laid the ball up into the basket. Raevon Allen stole the ball from Sidney Dollar and raced down the court to lay the ball up and put the Warriors back within nine. However, a three pointer by Timon Jones extended the Bobcats lead up to 60-48. Aaron Tims passed the ball under the basket to Dyren Brown who laid the ball up. The Bobcats would not relent their attacks as baskets by LJ Rogers, Rodney Smith and Jalen Crowder allowed Lees-McRae to take a sixteen point lead with just over fifteen minutes left in the half. Reco Hallmon laid the ball up and then Aaron Tims made a floating jump shot. Ja'Quavian Florence drove to the basket and laid the ball up into the basket to give Lees-McRae a sixteen point lead. Jonathan Taylor passed the ball over to Griffin Effenberger. Effenberger stepped beyond the arc and hit a three pointer. Nigel Okwakol laid the ball up into the basket and then fired off a three point shot from beyond the arc seconds later. Effenberger drove to the basket for a layup. Southern Wesleyan continued to challenge as Matthew Rouse passed the ball beyond the arc to Dyren Brown. Brown stepped beyond the arc and sunk his second three pointer of the afternoon to put the Warriors back within nine. Timon Jones sunk a three pointer from beyond the arc. Brown passed the ball over to Chad Clark. Clark sunk a three pointer. However, layups by Sidney Dollar and Matthew Knafelz allowed the Bobcats to win the game in a 98-77 final score.
What's Next
The Warriors will remain on the road on January 10 as they travel to Spartanburg, SC to take on the Converse Valkyries. They will then return to Historic Tysinger Gymnasium on January 13 to host the Erskine Flying Fleet at 4pm. The Warriors will welcome the King Tornado to Central, SC on January 17. Southern Wesleyan will then travel to Franklin Springs, GA on January 20 to take on the Emmanuel Lions.
