January 13, 2007

Boxscore

BANNER ELK, N.C.— Senior swingman Richard Stone (Williamsburg, Va.) scored a career-high 24 points while freshman guard Justin Brauda (Monroe, N.C.) made two clutch free throws with six seconds left in the game to lift the visiting St. Andrews men’s basketball team to a 75-71 Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference victory over Lees-McRae College on Saturday afternoon.

The Knights (5-9 overall; 2-5 CVAC) won their second close CVAC contest in three days by going on a 6-0 run in the final 35 seconds and rallying past the host Bobcats (3-8 overall; 2-4 CVAC).

Lees-McRae looked to be in control in the first half jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first two minutes and never trailing in the opening frame. The Bobcats shot 50-percent (14-for-28) from the field in the first 20 minutes to build a commanding 42-30 advantage at the half.

After being held to 33.3% (9-for-27) shooting in the first half, St. Andrews fought back with an 18-5 run in the first eight minutes of the second period to take their first lead of the day, 48-47. The two teams battled closely for the next seven minutes with six lead changes and three ties over that span until two made free throws by Knights junior Taiwon Grooms (Landover, Md.) gave SAPC a narrow 65-60 lead with five minutes to go.

The Bobcats quickly responded with an 8-0 run capped by a junior Blake Carr (Seymour, Tenn.) three-pointer. Stone answered with his own trey on the ensuing play knotted the game back to 68-68. Grooms put the Knights back ahead with a made free throw, but a converted putback attempt and a free throw had Lees-McRae leading 71-69 with 35 ticks showing on the clock.

After sophomore Charles Phillips (Decatur, Ga.) cut the deficit in half with a made free throw and a missed Bobcat shot, Brauda was fouled with six seconds remaining. The freshman nailed both freebees for the charity stripe and the Knights pulled out the four-point victory.

Lees-McRae shot well going 47.9% (23-for-48) from the field including 10-for-18 (55.6%) from downtown compared to St. Andrews’ 38.9% (21-for-54) but the Knights held advantages in rebounds (39-31) and steals (10-4).

Stone scored his career-high 24 points with a trio of shots from behind the arc while also going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Grooms followed with another big performance recording 23 points and game-highs of six rebounds and five steals. Phillips added a season-high 13 points.

Carr led the Bobcats with a team-high 12 points. Junior DJ Menifee (Anderson, Ind.) and freshman Darius Roper (Murfeesboro, Tenn.) each supplied 11 points while junior Pete Dunbar (Shereville, Ind.) had 10 points and a team-high six boards.

St. Andrews will for three straight when they entertain CVAC local rival Coker College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.