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Darius Lee - ESPN Top 25

MBB: ESPN tabs Darius Lee's 52-point game as one of Top 25 college basketball performances of last 25 years

Lee's record-breaking night helped Huskies win 149-144 4-OT thriller over McNeese

ESPN released a "Top 25 Individual Performances of the past 25 years" on Wednesday, ranking the 52-point outburst by Darius Lee against McNeese in 2022 as its 12th-best single-game showing of the last quarter century. 

The record-tying single-game scoring mark by Lee ranked on a list that included such notables as Carmelo Anthony, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Dywane Wade, Kevin Durant, Buddy Hield, and Trae Young.

On March 5 in the final game of the 2022 regular season, HCU and McNeese hooked up in a game for the ages, with the Huskies claiming a crazy 149-144 four-overtime victory. The game itself ranks as the fourth-highest scoring game in NCAA Division I history.

"While we as a program, team and University knew Darius' performance that night was truly remarkable, to have ESPN acknowledge it as one of the top performances of the past 25 years, is a fantastic honor. Those of us who were a part of that special night witnessed one of the most awe-inspiring achievements of our lives. We now know that extraordinary game was the last Darius would play in Sharp Gym, as the tragic events of June 20th took him from us much too soon. We remember and miss DLee daily." - Ron Cottrell
It was a contest that saw neither team lead by double-digits, along with 25 lead changes and 24 tie scores. The 52 points by Lee tied Rod Nealy's school mark set in 2003, and also matched the Southland Conference single-game record. 

A layup by Lee with one second on the clock in the first overtime tied the game at 102. He then canned two free throws with just under a second left to send the game to a third overtime tied at 115. 

He would finally ice the game with two more free throws with three seconds left in the fourth extra session. After finishing regulation with 25 points, Lee went on to score 27 in the extra 20 minutes. All told, Lee finished 16-30 from the field and 20-27 from the free throw line. Not only did he tie the school mark for points in a single game, but he also broke the HCU school record for most FT attempts in a single game. He snared 18 rebounds, seven on the offensive end, and also chipped in five assists and three steals while playing 54 minutes.

Lee would conclude the 2021-22 campaign averaging 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals. He was a second-team All-Southland Conference selection and was also chosen to the SLC All-Defensive team. He would later be named the 2022 Robbie Robertson Male Athlete of the Year, the highest individual honor in the HCU athletic department. 

Tragically, Lee was shot and killed while home for the summer in Harlem, New York, just over three months later on June 20, 2022. Prior to the 2022-23 season, Lee was selected as the Southland Conference Preseason Player of the Year and in December of 2022 he was posthumously awarded his Bachelor's Degree.

His family has established the "DLEE23 Foundation" in an effort to continue his legacy by helping secure promising futures for youth and college bound students. You can find more information by clicking here: #DLee23Forever

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