WILSON, N.C.-Visiting Queens University of Charlotte outscored Barton 15-2 in overtime Tuesday night to post an 82-69 Conference Carolinas men's basketball victory in the "Dog House."
Queens, a winner of nine straight games, improved to 10-4 overall and 6-0 in the league while Barton, playing its first game without starting point guard Gerald Boston (broken hand), fell to 9-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play. Barton next sees action at St. Andrews Presbyterian College Wednesday night, Jan. 26, at 7:30.
The Bulldogs put up a tenacious fight against one of the league's two unbeaten squads despite shooting a miserable 30.4 percent (21-of-69) from the floor. Barton kept itself in the game with a dominating 53-39 rebounding performance against the taller Royals. Led by 6-3 senior L.J. Dunn (Raleigh, N.C.), who scored 19 points and pulled a career-best 19 boards, the Bulldogs limited Queens' shot opportunities in the physical affair, but went cold in overtime, making just 1-of-8 shots and committing three turnovers.
The contest featured 45 fouls, including 31 in a slow-moving first half. Barton got off to a 6-4 start, but the Royals blew past for a 17-9 cushion when 6-4 junior guard Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C.) stole the ball and dunked it. With Dunn flying high down low and senior point guard Greg Mammel (San Antonio) providing a spark off the bench with 10 first-half points, the Bulldogs went on an 8-1 just before intermission for a 38-35 lead.
Barton's biggest edge of the game came at the 17:10 mark of the second half at 42-37. Neither team led by more than four points for the rest of regulation. Bailey (22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists) got another steal and dunk for a 54-52 Queens lead with 9:01 left in regulation, but a 3-pointer by freshman point guard Ethan Maske (Jacksonville, Ala.), a three-point play by junior forward R.D. Dowdy (Chapel Hill), a tip-in by Dunn and a jumper by Maske put BC up 62-58.
A follow shot by 6-8 Brent Evans (Beaufort, S.C.) finished off a 7-0 run by the Royals, but Dunn answered with a three-point play at 1:58 for a deadlock at 65-all. Senior 5-11 guard Reggie Hopkins, who was named Conference Carolinas Player of the Week earlier on Tuesday, drilled a pair of foul shots at 1:05 for a 67-65 Queens edge, but Dowdy drained two charity tosses for Barton with :09 showing for a 67-67 tie. Evans' 17-foot jumper just before the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim, leading to overtime.
The extra session belonged to the Royals, who outscored the Bulldogs 14-0 to start the period. Sophomore 6-6 forward Antonio Stabler (Garner, N.C.) got a tip-in and Bailey, Brandon Nichols (Fayetteville, N.C.) and Hopkins followed with 3-pointers to quickly make it 78-67. A Bailey foul shot and a dunk by Nichols pushed the lead to 81-67. Dunn scored Barton's lone OT points with 49 seconds left, then Hopkins finished the scoring with a foul shot.
The Bulldogs were just 3-of-20 (15 percent) from beyond the arc, but outscored the Royals 24-19 from the foul line.
Jaren Haley (Woodbridge, Va.) and Mammel added 12 points apiece for Barton, which was hurt by 18 turnovers. Hopkins added 19 points and Evans totaled 12 points and seven rebounds for Queens.
The score was tied 11 times and the lead changed hands 14 times, but Queens never trailed in OT in adding to its win streak.
