With seniors Steve Bennett and Will Barnes leading the charge, the third-ranked Lee Flames coasted to a 90-55 victory over visiting Knoxville College on Tuesday evening in Walker Arena.
Lee improved to 10-0 overall and will play its final home game before the Christmas break on Thursday when Oakwood University (Ala.) will be in town for the 7 p.m. tip-off.
Bennett made 10-of-16 shots from the field in 22 minutes of playing time. He finished with 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Barnes, who averages 20 points per game, also carded 21 markers and sank seven of his 14 shots. He also contributed five assists.
A pair of sophomores, Corey Billingsley and Chad Lee, scored in double figures. Billingsley finished with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Lee posted a double-double, 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Flames enjoyed a 47-28 lead at the break and were never seriously challenged. After shooting over 60 percent from 3-point range on Saturday, coach Tommy Brown's club made only 6-of-24 attempts from behind the arc (25 percent). However, the Flames made 37-of-77 shots from the field (48 percent) and went to the free-throw line 13 times and converted 10 (77 percent).
"We weren't very sharp, especially in the first half," noted Brown. "We fumbled the ball around a lot but still were able to get the basketball inside to big Steve and he was able to have a career-high night. We did get the chance to play a lot of guys and that's always good. We just need to stay focused in the final two games before the Christmas break."
Lee held the rapid-firing Knoxville College team to only 31 percent (22-of-71) shooting from the floor. The Bulldogs also fired up 26 treys and canned only six. They also struggled at the free-throw line, making only 5-of-13 attempts.
Marcus Smith paced the losers with a 20-point performance. He attempted 19 shots and made seven, four were 3-pointers. Jahmad Clemons added eight and Demetrus Dorsey totaled seven.
The Flames commanded the backboards by a 55-35 margin. The Bulldogs were guilty of 17 floor mistakes and Lee committed 16.The Flames out-scored Knoxville College 58-16 in points in the paint and also tallied 27 markers off turnovers.