Hickory, N.C.-- The Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Basketball Team dropped 50 points and shot 60 percent from the field in the second half to top Lees-McRae by 11 points on Wednesday night. The game was the first road contest of the regular season for Lenoir-Rhyne who improves to 2-0 for the fourth time in the past five seasons. 

GAME INFORMATION:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 78, Lees-McRae 67
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (2-0), Lees-McRae (1-2)
Location: Banner Elk, N.C. | Shuford Arena

STATS OF THE GAME:
- Each team was cold in the first half with the Bears shooting 28 percent and the hosts hitting on 39.2 percent from the field. Lees-McRae would go into the break up 30-28.
- With the game even at 37, a 3-pointer by Tim Steele keyed a 7-0 burst that gave LR a 44-37 advantage.
- The lead swelled to 11 a 55-44 on a dunk by TJ Nesmith but Lees-McRae would cut it down to three with 2:34 left to play.
- Malik LeGania and Steele scored in the paint on back-to-back possessions and LR went 4-foir-4 from the field to seal the victory.
- Four players scored in double figures tonight led by 16 from LJ McCoy who went 5-for-8 from long range.
- In his season debut, Jalen Johnson had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds to go with a steal. 
- Nesmith had 10 points and Steele came off the bench to score 12 on 4-for-5 shooting. LeGania had seven points and six boards. 
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: 
- The 16 steals in tonight's game were the most in the past four seasons of LR basketball.
- The 30 free throw attempts are the sixth-most in that same time span.
- LR avenged last season's narrow 84-81 defeat at the hands of Lees-McRae. 
- The Bears own the all-time series 3-2. 
- This was win number 1,411 in the program's history.

UP NEXT:  LR will return home to host Malone on Saturday at 2 p.m.