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Andre Ngomabie

Bears hold off late Lee College rally to get 88-79 road win

In a much more complete performance, the Bears saw a big lead they had held for over 23 minutes shrink to five late, but they held off the home-standing Lee College Navigators Saturday in Baytown, TX, for an 88-79 win.
 
The game was back and forth early, with neither team having more than a two -possession lead at any point in the first 19 minutes. The Navigators struck first with a midrange basket by Moh Tounkara on their first possession. The Bears responded on their first possession with a put back basket by freshman Andre Ngomabie. And that was a sign of how the first half was going to go.
 
With 16:04 to go in the first half, Lee hit back-to-back three pointers to take a six-point lead, their largest lead of the game. The Bears responded with a midrange basket from sophomore Leano Rolle.
 
A couple of baskets off Bear turnovers got the Lee lead to six again at the 11:00 mark, 16-10. A three pointer in the corner from sophomore Jaylen Haliburton then cut it to three. After freshman Cy Merrett hit a transition three to knot the score at 16, Rolle  immediately followed by another midrange basket Bears' first lead of the game, 18-16, with 8:38 left in the half.
 
The Navigators regained the  lead back soon after and held a small lead briefly, but it was the Bears who stormed into halftime with all the momentum. A transition layup by Rolle tied the score at 30. Free throws by Merrett and a transition layup by sophomore Courterius Scott prompted a timeout from the home team with the score 35-30 Bears with a little over 3:00 go in the half. And after some more back and forth, that was the same margin going into halftime, the Bears holding a 43-38 edge.
 
In the second half, the Bears started hot with a inside basket by Ngomabie. The lead became nine on a left-handed layup by Scott and then ballooned to 11 after a three by freshman Chidi Nwosu just under the 18:00 mark. And it remained a comfortable Bear lead for almost the rest of the game.
 
After getting up by as many as 18 at one point, and the lead still at 15 with under 4:00 left to play, the Bears saw their lead shrink. Rolle then had a monstrous slam in transition with 3:07 to play to get the lead back up to 14. But the excitement was short lived as the Navigators answered back quickly. Lee cut the lead to seven on a Shamiere Green three in transition with just under 2:00 to play to make things interesting.
 
After some Haliburton free throws, and the Bears' advantage down to five, the hosts picked up multiple technical fouls after a no-call in front of their bench went the way of the Bears. This helped the Bears put the game away.
 
The Bears are back in action at home on Tuesday against Panola College in another contest against a tough team from Region XIV that made the Final Four of the NJCAA national tournament last year. Tip off is scheduled for 5:30.
 
 
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