BREVARD, N.C. - A 15-foot jumper by Lees-McRae's Lepreece Lynch with 1.8 seconds to play spoiled a comeback attempt for the ages by Brevard, lifting the visiting Bobcats to an 84-83 victory.
Lynch took the inbound pass from Darius Malbon on the left wing, dribbled three times to his right, and lifted a shot a step to the left of the center of the free throw line. The seventh lead change of the game would be the last, as the Lees-McRae (3-5) victory was preserved when Brevard's (0-5) final heave from beyond half court ricocheted off a light fixture and fell harmlessly to the floor.
A basket by Demarcus Threatt gave Brevard the lead after trailing by as many as 19 points and forced the Bobcats to make a final play. Threatt, who scored 26 points and dished out a career-high four assists, slashed through the lane and was met by a host of taller defenders. Threatt's attempt kissed high off the glass as he fell away on the right side of the basket, giving Brevard a one-point advantage with 9.7 seconds to play.
The Tornados would not have been in position to win without the efforts of Miles Leathers, who ended the evening tied for sixth on Brevard's single-game scoring list with a career-high 33 points. The senior forward went 11-for-23 from the field and knocked down three triples while finishing one rebound shy of a double-double.
Leathers and Threatt combined for 59 points on 21-for-44 shooting. Alex Moe had a strong contribution as well, notching his second double-double in four games with a 14-point, 10-rebound performance in just 26 minutes, including 12 points and eight rebounds in the second half alone.
The Tornados erased a deficit that swelled to 19 points with 2:41 to play in the first half to set up the game's thrilling final moments. Brevard ended the first half on a 13-4 run, then benefitted from a technical foul shot and a Moe three-pointer to trim the lead to 45-39 early in the first minute of the second half.
Lees-McRae upped its lead back to 14 points on a Lynch triple with 8:35 to play before Brevard's best sequence of the evening. Threatt knocked down a pair of free throws, but Moe was fouled while jockeying for position for a potential rebound on the second attempt. The resulting foul sent Moe to the line for two shots, and the senior center was true on both attempts before making another free throw after a technical foul against the Bobcats' bench moments later to trim the lead to nine.
Brevard would go on to make five of its next eight field goal attempts while holding Lees-McRae scoreless on nine of ten possessions, scoring the first 15 points in an eventual 17-1 run that saw a 68-54 deficit turn into a 71-69 lead over a span of 3:52. The teams deadlocked three times down the stretch before the stage was set for Lynch's heroics on the final sequence.
The Tornados will look to notch their first win of the season on Wednesday with a trip to North Georgia. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
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