Lee University Flames Use Strong Second Half to Defeat AUM and Advance to the GSC Semifinals

PJay Smith/Men's Basketball | Lee University

By Press release submission

Mar 7, 2023

The Lee University men's basketball team scored 46 points in the second half and pilled away from Auburn University-Montgomery to win 81-64 and advance to the Gulf South Conference tournament semifinals for the third straight season. The Flames completed a three game sweep over the Warhawks on the season as Lee was led by PJay Smith who had 22 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

Lee came out firing making their first four shots. Beyuan Hendricks and PJay Smith each hitting a three-point shot and the Flames led 10-2 just over a minute into the contest. AUM retunred the favor with a couple of dunks from James Graham to close it to a 13-6 game. Smith continued to shoot the ball well scoring eight points in the first eight minutes of the game.

The Flames pushed the lead out to 24-12 before going on a scoring drought. AUM held Lee scoreless for over three minutes and closed the gap to 24-17. Jayce Willingham hit a couple of free throws to stop the bleeding with eight minutes left in the first half.

AUM kept cutting into the lead and cut it to a 28-23 game. Then Noah Boler blocked a shot from Roderick Smith and turned it to a fast break dunk from Willingham. The Flames offense then slowed way down only scoring eight points in the last six minutes of the first half. Willingham hit a three-point shot as the shot clock expired with 30 seconds left in the half and the Flames led 35-29.

The physical game continued into the second half, AUM's Roderick Smith made a couple of buckets and was fouled each time as he converted two three-point plays. Michael McGuirk made a couple of layups and Lee led 44-40 with 16 minutes left in the game. Lee had a two-minute scoring drought until Tariq Daughton hit a three-point shot to make it 47-40. Two possessions later Daughton hit another three and then Hendricks hit a ten-foot jumper to push it out to a nine point lead.

McGuirk scored on a put back layup to make it an 11 point lead. On the ensuing trip down the court, Joseph Lanzi earned a technical foul. Smith made one free throw for Lee off the technical. Boler then dunked it a moment later and Lee led 57-42. Roderick Smith for AUM laid it in to stop a scoring drought of four and half minutes for the Warhawks.

The Flames began to hit three-point shots as Smith had two more and Willingham added another as the lead pushed put to 69-52 with five minutes left in the game. AUM never got closer than 14 points the last several minutes and Lee made their free throws to win 81-64.

Head Coach Bubba Smith was very pleased with the win. "Win and move on is the name of the game. AUM is a great team and Roderick Smith is a tough matchup. We contested shots all night long. Our defensive effort was awesome. We also cleaned up the turnovers. Had 10 in the first half and only two in the second half. We also had different guys up at different times. We didn't attack theirzoen very well in the first half and did much better in the second half. Now we have to get ready for another physical battle on Saturday with West Alabama."

Lee was 11-for-26 from the three point arc in the game while AUM was 4-for-18. Roderick Smith led AUM with 26 points. Four Flames scored in double figures. Smith had 22, Willingham had 20, Hendricks had 14, and McGuirk had 11. Lee had 17 assists to just 12 turnovers in the win.