by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-The Barton College men's basketball team took a one-point lead into the final minute of play but Athletes in Action converted on a perfect 10-for-10 free throws in the final 60 seconds to squeak out a 106-99 exhibition win on Saturday night in the Dog House.
The Bulldogs had four letter-winners score in double figures as Barton prepares the 2011-12 regular season that will begin on November 13-14 in the SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge hosted by Tusculum College.
The backcourt duo of senior Jaren Haley (Woodbridge, Va.) and junior Gerald Boston (Burlington, N.C.) led the Bulldogs with 23 and 20 points, respectively. Junior forward Jon Hart (Mount Olive, N.C.) flirted with a double-double adding 19 points and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. Senior guard Aaron Suggs (Wilson, N.C.) chipped in 11 points.
Athletes in Action, the sports outreach ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, had six of its nine active players reach double digits scoring. The ministry uses the platform of sports to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the opposing teams, fans and communities in which the team plays. Members of the team shared person faith testimonies at halftime of Saturday's exhibition. AIA players come from a wide variety of college programs, ranging from NAIA and NCAA Division III programs to Division I schools that compete in the Pac-12, Western Athletic, Mid-American, Horizon League, Summit League, and Southern Conferences.
AIA was coming off a 40-point exhibition win at Catawba College on Friday night and kept up its offensive flow by hitting 16-of-27 three-pointers (59.3%). Athletes in Action also took advantage of 50 free throw attempts, making 36 including 10 consecutive clutch freebees down the stretch.
Athletes in Action led for the first 12 minutes but Barton battled back and took a 59-51 halftime lead by shooting 60.6% in the first half including a stellar 7-of-10 (70%) from behind the arc.
Barton increased its lead to 11 a pair of times early in the second half. A Suggs trey gave the Bulldogs a 65-54 lead but AIA surged ahead with a 13-0 run. The two teams kept the fans entertained as a fast break dunk by Hart propelled Barton back ahead by six, 81-75, but AIA quickly answered with its own dunk 40 seconds later.
The score would remain within four points of each other throughout the final nine minutes as the two talented programs traded baskets until six made free throws in the final 20 seconds inched AIA to its seven-point victory.
With Athletes in Action leading by three heading into the final two minutes, Hart converted on a two free throws and then nailed a jumper with 1:14 on the clock to give Barton its last lead at 97-96.
Barton cooled off in the second half only making 38.9% of its shots (2-of-9 from three-point distance) to finish the game at 49.3% accuracy.
Junior transfer Keith Manley (Greensboro, N.C.) tied Hart with seven rebounds as Barton out-rebounded the much taller Athletes in Action, 38-36.
Boston continued his strong play that led him to pair of All-Conference selections in his first two seasons by adding five rebounds, four assists and two steals to his 20 points. Haley had four of the Bulldogs nine made 3-pointers. Hart was 7-for-10 from the floor en route to his 19 points.
Barton will conclude preseason play with an exhibition at NCAA Division I Old Dominion University on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
