By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
THREE OAKS - The combination of Marquis Hall and Jordan Lee was more than River Valley could handle on Tuesday night in the Mustang gym. Buchanan (4-4 overall, 3-2 in league play) came away with a 59-52 Lakeland Conference victory.
Hall finished with a game high 21 points and Lee followed up with 19. More important than the 19 points by Lee was the eight assists and eight rebounds.
Buchanan jumped out to a 12-4 lead to start the game but a pair of baskets by Caleb Drydan, one from behind the arc brought the Mustangs quickly back into the game down 14-9 after the first period.
Buchanan would not relinquish the lead as Lee came in off the bench to score 10 second quarter points and post a 22-27 lead at the break.
After each team committed 10 turnovers in the first half the Bucks came out and took care of the ball turning the ball over only five times in the second half.
With the Bucks leading 44-42 with 5:50 to play in the fourth Hall scored seven of Buchanan's next eight unanswered points to open up a 10 point margin with just under four minutes to play. “Marquis isn't very tall but when he gets the ball down in the post he is a real horse down there,” McBeth said.
The Mustangs fought back to make it a five point game with 2:23 to play on a rebound bucket by Nate Swords.
Two buckets by Hall on assists by Lee sealed the win for the Bucks as they took a 57-50 lead with a minute to play.
Jeff Kyles also dropped in 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds for the Bucks.