Box Score
Cheered on by the loudest crowd Lee's seen in a couple of years, the Flames scored a major upset over a talented University of West Alabama team in Walker Arena on Thursday evening.
Showing patience the entire 40 minutes and converting key free throws despite a couple of key players being on the sidelines, Lee posted its fifth Gulf South Conference victory of the year and ninth overall win, 71-69. The game was tied five times and featured nine lead changes.
The thrilling contest was decided in two areas. The Flames went to the free-throw line 40 times and converted 32. The Tigers had 29 charity tosses and made 19. Lee out-rebounded the visitors 35-24. Lee also only turned the basketball over 12 times in the well-played game. West Alabama had just nine floor mistakes.
Cory Billingsley missed a couple of freebies that might have sealed the contest in the closing seconds but the junior still managed to connect on 16-of-20 attempts and finished the contest with 24 points.
"I'm giving the first game ball to our fans," said coach Tommy Brown after probably his team's biggest win of the year. "They were certainly a big factor in our victory and I want to tell them how much I appreciated their support tonight." He added that the second game ball went to (Muniru) Bawa. "He played his best game ever for us, kept rebounds alive for his teammates and was a big part of our zone defense in the middle."
Brown also noted that his Flames won the game with two regular players on the bench. Tyquan Roberts injured a knee and could be lost for the year. The Flames were up 55-45 when Roberts went out of the game. Jamal Worthington was also forced to the sidelines when he picked up his fifth foul with some seven minutes remaining. Stedmon Ford battled an injury and his status for Saturday's game with Alabama-Huntsville is questionable.
The heated battle was not decided until the final seconds. Ford made the first of two free throws to give Lee a 71-69 lead. After his second toss missed, the Tigers got the rebound and called a timeout with 1.3 seconds remaining. A long inbounds pass followed and Billingsley was there to knock the basketball away and preserve the victory.
"We didn't fold down the stretch like we have in earlier games," explained Brown. "We took care of the basketball and made some good decisions in not trying to attack their shot-blockers. We showed a sign of maturity and I'm proud of this team. They have worked hard and practiced well all season long. I hope we have something to build on."
With Billingsley leading the way, Ford followed with his best effort in several weeks. He canned three long 3-pointers, grabbed a team-tying six rebounds and finished with 16 points. Worthington, another freshman, had a strong first half before getting into foul trouble. He tallied eight points but more importantly dished off four assists, grabbed six rebounds and blocked one shot. Bawa scored just one point, but ripped down five boards. He was an inside force in 24 minutes of playing time.
Jervon Johnson converted a big layup when Lee surged to the 10-point lead. He totaled five points. Chad Lee was 5-of-5 from the line and also carded five rebounds. The Flames won despite shooting just 34 percent from the field and 37 percent from behind the arc. Again, free throws marked the huge difference.
West Alabama, led by Desmond Raymond's 23 points, shot 50 percent from the field. Against Lee's zone, the Tigers were able to connect on only 6-of-18 treys and grabbed just three offensive rebounds against the fighting Flames.
Four other West Alabama players scored in double figures. Jared Woolfolk added 13. Jarell Byrd and Sandy Underwood tossed in 10 apiece. The Tigers had a 24-16 advantage in points in the paint and outscored Lee 18-8 in points off turnovers. However, Lee outscored the visitors 13-0 in second chance attempts and 15-10 in points off the bench.
It will be Senior Night on Saturday at 7 p.m. when the Flames host another team battling for second place in the GSC, Alabama-Huntsville. Brice Sharp and Bawa will be honored before the men's action begins.
