Freshman Tariq Daughton drilled a 3-pointer with nine seconds left to give the No. 24 Lee men's basketball team a thrilling, 77-76 win over Auburn Montgomery to finish off the regular season with bang on Saturday afternoon in Walker Arena.

The Flames overcame a 42-33 halftime deficit to top the Warhawks in the final moments as Maharrith  Jackson's 3-pointer fell short at the buzzer. Makhi McGuire helped key the comeback with a triple with just 38 seconds left to pull the Flames within one at 75-74. AUM proceeded to split a pair of free throws to set the stage for the final shot.

"I was trying to set a screen for Makhi but they came out in a zone, so I found some space and Noah (Boler) found me and I just let it fly and fortunately it went in," said Daughton. "I just try and bring defensive energy and hustle off the bench to help the team anyway I can."

Quay Kennedy led the Flames with 17 points, five rebounds and four steals. Beyuan Hendricks joined him in double figures with 12 points and eight assists.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and it took us about 20 minutes to really get going in this one,” said Lee Head Coach Bubba Smith. “I thought Drayden gave us a huge lift off the bench and helped change the momentum of the game. I also thought Makhi made a huge shot there in the final minute after having some shots not fall earlier and then he defended one on one on that final play to help us seal the win. Of course, Tariq was ready for that moment. He plays the game the right way and he was there to make a play for us when we needed it most.”

Stanley Davis carried Auburn Montgomery with a game-high 36 points. The senior was on fire from the 3-point line converting 8 of 10. Jackson added 14 points and seven rebounds. 

The two teams battled nearly even in every meaningful statistical category. Lee shot 50.9 percent from the field while AUM hit at a 51.1 clip. The Flames held a 28-25 advantage and forced 14 turnovers while committing 12.
 
The Lee bench scored 29 points in the contest including huge minutes from Drayden Thomas off the bench. Thomas scored six points had two rebounds and swiped two steals in 8:28 of action. Noah Boler had eight points and six rebounds and Daughton finished with eight points and was 2 for 2 from 3-point land, including the game winner.

“Our bench just continues to improve and give us so many options and depth and you need that come playoff time,” added Smith. “We needed a game like this to stretch us and you don’t know how you react until you’re in that moment and I thought our guys responded tonight and I’m excited to get the playoff season tipped off on Tuesday.”

The Flames finish the regular season at 13-4 and will host a Gulf South Conference Quarterfinal game at Walker Arena on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Warhawks end their season at 3-14.