Brevard, N.C. – The Brevard College men’s basketball team dropped their second straight game at home on Tuesday night, as they fell to the Bobcats of Lees-McRae, 86-74.

 

The loss drops the Tornados to 1-6, while Lees-McRae improves to 2-5 with the win.

 

The Tornados would fall behind early and although they would tie up the score twice in the opening 20 minutes of play, BC could never take the lead, as the hot shooting of the Bobcats kept the Tornados at bay.

 

BC got off to a slow start as they fell behind the visiting Bobcats 12-4 five minutes into the first half. The Tornados bounced back to tie the game up at 21-21 over the next six minutes, only to have Lees-McRae heat up and go on a 28-18 run in the final nine minutes of the first have to seal a 49-39 halftime lead over the home team.

 

The Bobcats held on to the lead in the first half, as they shot 60 percent from the field (18-of-30) and 58.8 percent from behind the three-point line as they netted 10 three point baskets. The Tornados kept within in reach in the first 20 minutes by shooting 48.5 percent from the floor, as they connected on 16-of-33 as a team.

 

In the second half, the BC defense held the Bobcats to only two three-point baskets; however, the difference was at the free-throw line where Lees-McRae shot 13 more foul shots than the Tornados. The Bobcats went 13-of-15 from the charity stripe in the final 20 minutes of play, while the Tornados went 1-of-2.

 

The Tornados would not cut the Bobcats lead into single digits until just under two minutes to go in regulation, as sophomore Andrew Freeman hit a three-pointer to cut Lees-McRae’s lead to eight at 74-66.

 

However, BC would not get any closer than seven points in the closing minutes as the Bobcats connected on the free-throws down the stretch to seal the 86-74 win.

 

Sophomores Jonathan Whitson and Andrew Freeman led the Tornados in scoring with 19 apiece, while fellow classmate Shane Galloway added 13 points off the bench.

 

Lees-McRae had four players in double-figures led by Aaron Woodacre’s 28 points. Woodacre went 7-of-8 from behind the three-point arch for the game. The Bobcats’ Raysean Hairston had 21 points, while Aaron Willey and Nick DeSchepper each finished with 10 points.

 

The men’s basketball team will next be in action on Thursday, December 6, when they will travel to Spartanburg, S.C. to do battle with the Spartans of USC-Upstate. USC-Upstate is currently transitioning to NCAA Division I and are in their first year as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. The game time is slated for 7 p.m.

 

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