Leading from the opening tip and getting key plays from several different players, the Lee men's basketball team snapped a six-game losing streak with an impressive 98-83 victory over rival Shorter University on Saturday afternoon in Walker Arena.
The Flames zipped to a 47-34 lead at the halftime break and led by as much as 22 points in the second stanza. For the first time this season five different players scored in double figures. Keevin Tyus led the way with a double-double, 26 points and 13 rebounds. He made 11-of-15 shots from the field.
Chase Cullen had another impressive performance with 24 points and seven rebounds. He was 10-of-16 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw stripe. It didn't stop there. Rico Overall scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half. He also dished off five assists. Rantavious Gilbert thrilled the large crowd with three dunks and three blocked shots. He also claimed four rebounds in totaling 11 points.
Levi Woods was a force and drew praise from coach Tommy Brown for his leadership role. Woods tallied 10 points and added two assists. Bryce Copeland hit two more 3-pointers and a couple of free throws to pitch in with eight points and another rugged defensive effort.
Lee commanded the backboards, out-rebounding the Hawks 39-24. The Flames were guilty of 17 floor mistakes but made up for that by shooting a solid 59 percent from the floor and 43 percent from 3-point range. They dominated points in the paint out-scoring Shorter 60-28.
The Hawks lost despite a 39-point effort by Phil Taylor. He was 9-of-11 from the field, 4-of-4 from behind the arc and 17-of-21 from the charity stripe. Trevor McDade carded 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the loss, while Chris Daniels added 11. The Hawks went to the free-throw line 39 times and made 30. The Flames were awarded 23 freebies and canned 14.
The victory improved Lee's record to 4-12 overall and 2-9 in Gulf South Conference play. Shorter dropped to 8-9 overall and 3-9 against conference opponents.
The Flames will be back in action on Thursday night for an 8 p.m. contest against another rival Union University. The contest will be held in Walker Arena.
