HobbsDailyReport.com
HARROGATE, Tenn. – Fresh off a big home win, the Lenoir-Rhyne University men head into the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) basketball tournament chasing their 20th win of the season.
LRU closed the regular season at home on Saturday, nipping Lincoln Memorial 85-83 on Senior Night to snap a 17-game losing streak in that series.
BOXSCORE: https://lrbears.com/boxscore.aspx?id=6028&path=mbball
LRU SCHEDULE: https://lrbears.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=194
The Bears (19-9, 12-8) are seeded No. 5 in the conference tournament and play a quarterfinal on the road on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. against No. 4 Tusculum (16-12, 12-8).
LRU, Tusculum and Wingate tied for fourth place in the regular season standings.
A win on Wednesday would get the Bears to the SAC tournament semifinals on Saturday in Greenville, S.C. They would face No. 8 Carson-Newman (15-13) or top-seeded Queens (27-3) for a berth in Sunday’s 4 p.m. title game.
The tournament winner earns the SAC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division II playoffs.
On Saturday, Djibril Diallo and Cory Thomas combined for 49 of the Bears’ points. Diallo went 7-of-16 from the floor and Thomas had 25 points and missed a double-double by one rebound.
LRU’s Bertrand Awana hit all four of his field goal attempts while playing 20 minutes and blocked three shots, one with 23 seconds to go and the Bears leading by a point.
With a bit more than nine minutes to play, LRU led by 13 points.
A free throw by Diallo regained the lead (83-82) for LRU with 1:01 to play after Lincoln Memorial had rallied. Diallo converted two free throws with 40 seconds left, and the Bears made two defensive stops from there.
Anthony Brown, hitting eight of 13 shots, led Lincoln Memorial with 18 points.
Lincoln Memorial is the No. 3 seed and opens the tournament at home Wednesday at 7 p.m., facing No. 6 Wingate (16-12).
The Bears go into the postseason with 19 games decided by single digits, and their win total is the second-highest in 11 years (behind a 21-win team in 2015-16).
- Reported by LRU Sports Information
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS
MEN
Wednesday’s quarterfinal games
No. 8 Carson-Newman (15-13) at No. 1 Queens (27-3), 7 p.m.
No. 5 LENOIR-RHYNE (19-9) at No. 4 Tusculum (16-12), 7 p.m.
No. 6 Wingate (16-12) at No. 3 Lincoln Memorial (20-8), 7 p.m.
No. 7 Anderson, S.C. (16-12) at No. 2 Catawba (21-7), 7 p.m.
Saturday’s semifinals
(at Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C.)
Carson-Newman-Queens winner vs. LRU-Tusculum winner, 5 p.m.
Lincoln Memorial-Wingate wnner vs. Anderson-Catawba winner, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday’s championship
(at Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C.)
Semifinals winners, 4 p.m.