BANNER ELK, N.C. – The Barton men's basketball team (13-9, 11-4) fell to Lees-McRae (9-13, 5-9) by a 95-67 score in a Conference Carolinas game Saturday afternoon at Williams Gymnasium.
The Bobcats used a balanced-scoring affair with five players reaching double figures – led by Williams Onyeodi (Fayetteville, N.C.) with 18 points – as Lees-McRae to a 44-26 advantage at halftime and never looked back in the surprising victory.
Lees-McRae shot 59 percent (39-of-66) from the field and hit 10 treys in the win as well. The Bobcats' Jaylin Stewart (Petersburg, Va.) added 14 points off the bench as the home team jumped out to a 35-8 lead just under 12 minutes into the contest.
Barton junior guard
Marcus Boykin (Atlanta, Ga.) led the visitors with 19 points but Lees-McRae's early advantage proved too much to overcome. Junior guard
Reese McDonald (Raleigh, N.C.) added a double-double – 13 points and 10 rebounds – for the Bulldogs, who fell into a third-place tie with Belmont Abbey in the conference standings.
Barton wraps up the final contest of a three-game road stand with a date with fifth-ranked UNC Pembroke on Wednesday beginning at 7:00 p.m., in Pembroke, N.C., while Lees-McRae hosts Converse Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
