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Lees-McRae Men’s Basketball: Sepokas Nets Game-High 28, Saints Surge Past Bobcats, 90-73

Feb. 1, 2013. GAFFNEY, S.C. — Senior Daniel Sepokas (Illawong, Australia) poured in a game-high 28 points on Thursday evening, becoming the seventh player in program history to surpass the 1,100-point plateau, as the Limestone College men’s basketball team placed five players in double figures en route to a 90-73 victory over Lees-McRae College in Conference Carolinas play.

Limestone (12-6, 8-4 CC) posted a field goal percentage of 48.4 percent in the contest, including an even 50 percent in the second half, while holding Lees-McRae (1-17, 1-11 CC) to a 34.4 percent clip on the night. The Saints won the battle on the glass by a 44-36 margin, including a 33-22 advantage on the defensive boards, as Lees-McRae converted 13 Limestone miscues into 19 points. 

Sepokas led the way for the Bobcats with a game-high 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting, knocking down 3-of-5 three-pointers while converting 7-of-10 attempts at the free throw line. Asad Lamot (Mebane, N.C.) added 12 points, as Aaron Bluitt (Indianapolis, Ind.) chipped in a career-high 10 markers. Juan Urbina (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) posted a team-high five rebounds for the Bobcats.

Charles Blue and Joe Raga each paced the Saints with a double-double, as Blue poured in 15 points and Raga pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Blue also added 10 boards, while Raga chipped in 12 markers with a 7-for-11 night at the charity stripe. PJ Foster turned in game-highs of 16 points and six assists, as Ryan Bogdan tallied 15 markers on 5-of-8 shooting from behind the arc. Jamal McNeil nearly added a double-double with 10 boards and eight points.

The Bobcats started off strong, answering an early 8-2 Saint run with a 10-2 spurt of their own, claiming an 18-15 advantage on a Sepokas jumper with 12:36 to go in the first half. Limestone countered with a 34-18 surge over the final 12 minutes, taking a 49-36 lead into the intermission after the Bobcats closed out the half with a 6-1 spurt.

Lees-McRae carried the momentum into the second half, opening the period with back-to-back buckets from Sepokas and Kyle Burton-Harper (Charlotte, N.C.) to cut the lead to 50-40 with 16:57 to play. Limestone answered with a 16-7 run, pushing the advantage to 66-47 following a Bogdan triple at the 10:44 mark.

The Saints would maintain a double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest, closing out the win with an 11-6 spurt over the final minute to equal the final margin of 90-73.

Lees-McRae returns to the court on Saturday when the Bobcats host Pfeiffer University in conference play at 4:30 p.m. in Williams Gymnasium.