Defense has always been a key to Lee men’s basketball victories and that was definitely the case in a 67-49 victory over Voorhees College (S.C.) on Wednesday in historic Municipal Auditorium.
The tough Lee man defense held the South Carolina club to only 16 field goals for the entire game and 25 percent shooting overall. Voorhees also struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 14-25.
The Flames posted their 30th win of the season against only three defeats and held the lead the entire contest.
It was 29-22 at the halftime break and coach Tommy Brown’s club outscored the Tigers 38-27 in the second 20 minutes.
The second half shooting by Chase Dunn, Will Barnes and Duran Blue helped the Flames pull away to a 19-point advantage and Voorhees could get no closer than 12 points the remainder of the game.
Dunn, who converted 9-of-12 free throws, finished with 19 points. Blue tallied 13 points and dished off seven assists, while Barnes also pitched in with 13 points and grabbed five rebounds. Jamorris Gaines had a double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds. Steve Bennett chipped in with six points and six boards.
While Brown had to be pleased with his team’s defensive play, he will certainly seek improvement in the rebounding department as they advance on to Friday’s second round and face the winner of Phil Lander Smith (Ark.) and Montana Western at 11:45 a.m. (EDT).
Voorhees held a 44-41 margin in rebounds and grabbed 16 offensive boards. On the other hand, Lee’s shooting from the field was a solid 44 percent but Brown’s club could convert only 6-of-20 treys. The Flames went to the free throw line 32 times and canned 21.