CLEVELAND, Tenn. - It is a big evening in more ways than one for the Lee University men's basketball team as they host Christian Brothers University. A win over the Bucs puts the Flames in a good spot to be in the eight-team GSC Playoffs. Coach Bubba Smith and his staff have spent extra minutes planning ways to defend the Bucs Christian Thompson, a 6-foot-9, 240 pound man, who poured in 22 points and ripped down 17 rebounds in the first meeting on Jan. 18th.
Lee took care of business on the road, winning at Trevecca Nazarene University and defeating Mississippi College while losing to Delta State University during the annual visit to the Magnolia State. They close out the regular season with two games inside Walker Arena. This evening at 7:30 they will host Christian Brothers. On Saturday, the Flames will takes a few extra minutes to honor three players on Senior Day before playing Union University in a contest that could mean plenty at 4 p.m.
Currently, Lee holds 8th place in the GSC standings (7-13). Christian Brothers, Auburn University at Montgomery and the University of West Florida are a game back at 6-14. If Christian Brothers wins tonight, they would have to win on Saturday to stay in the hunt. AUM faces a real challenge to stay alive, testing Valdosta State Univerdsity. West Florida hosts the University of Montevallo tonight, and with a win they would be pitted against AUM still looking for a playoff spot. This all goes away if the Flames earn a W tonight.
Closing out the regular season with a matchup against rival Union on Saturday could get a little more interesting, especially if you are a scoreboard watcher. The Bulldogs are at Trevecca this evening and a Trojan win along with a Lee victory would set up a battle for 7th place, moving the Flames ahead of Union in the final GSC standings. This would show Coach Smith's team has rebounded and come a long way over the past two weeks.
"We have a lot to play for this weekend and there is still movement to be had in the standings," said Coach Smith. "We constantly talk about having a growth mindset each day, so our preparation is no different. We know when we are playing our best, we can compete with anyone. We have proven that this season. We must continue to believe in each other and trust each other, especially on the defensive end. Our defensive effort has allowed us to be in almost every game since January."
Honoring Three Seniors
"We are also excited to honor three seniors on Saturday that have meant so much to our program. Noah Boler-Kyle, Tariq Daughton, and Giancarlo Valdez. Giancarlo had an unfortunate season-ending injury early in December that cut his inaugural season with us short. He was playing some of the best basketball of his career and was leading us in scoring and assists at the time. Gian was also providing our team with experience and leadership, and we have missed him greatly these last couple months. Gian is also a tremendous person and teammate, and cares for others.
"Noah has been such a big part of our program's success over the last few years. He has been a part of four NCAA Tournament appearances in his career, which is pretty amazing. Noah has consistently improved throughout his career and has been one of the most efficient players I have coached. Not only is he a special talent, but his personality and character are infectious. We often say, "when Noah goes, we go!" He has been a joy to coach and has grown and matured in some amazing ways. I can't wait to see what Noah does next.
"Tariq's impact on our program has equally been as impactful. Tariq has done so many things, many unnoticed throughout his career. He has always been tasked with defending the other team's best player and has often sacrificed his own personal success to do what the team needs. Tariq has also hit some big shots in his career (some game winners) and has always been ready for the moment. He is a true selfless player, great teammate, and a joy to coach as well. We will miss Tariq!
"These three seniors are special young men who will be successful in whatever endeavors they choose to pursue in the future. Tariq has been part of three NCAA Tournament appearances and Noah has been a part of four. Their contributions are hard to put in to words."
