Box Score WILSON, N.C.-The Barton College women's basketball team overcame a poor shooting first half on Saturday night to defeat visiting Belmont Abbey College 58-43 and claim at least a share of its third straight Conference Carolinas regular-season championship.
Barton stands 21-3 overall and has won 20 or more games in six of the last eight seasons. The Lady Bulldogs are 17-1 in league play and have locked up the No. 1 seed for the league tournament. Belmont Abbey left at 11-13 overall and 10-8 in the conference. Barton visits Converse on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and finishes regular-season play at home with Limestone next Saturday at 5:30.
Freshman guard Nyeshea Willie (Virginia Beach, Va.) scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting and senior point guard Jamila Johnson (Garner, N.C.) had a stellar outing with 12 points, eight assists, six rebounds and just one turnover for the Lady Bulldogs.
Barton started 0-for-6 from the floor and the cold shooting continued throughout the first half. Barton canned but 12-of-33 shots before the break, but still had a 27-18 lead at intermission. Barton, which scored 30 points off 27 Belmont Abbey turnovers, finished 13-of-26 in the second half and 25-of-59 overall (42.4 percent) from the floor.
Abbey, which posted a 35-30 rebounding advantage, was only 17-of-44 from the field (38.6 percent), including 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) from 3-point land.
The Crusaders' 6-foot center, Shayla Jackson (Knoxville, Tenn.), finished with team-highs of 12 points and 10 boards.
Despite hitting just four of its first 17 shots, the Lady Bulldogs were up 10-6 since Abbey made only 3-of-12 to start the game and was hampered by turnovers. Jannetta Robinson (Willard, N.C.) moved the Barton lead to 19-8 midway through the half with a jumper, but Abbey responded with a 5-0 run to close within 19-13 on a 3-pointer from freshman forward Melisa Foures (Kearnersville, N.C.).
Sophomore center Janae Jackson (Fort Belvoir, Va.), Willie and sophomore guard Faith Hunter (Raleigh, N.C.) drained baskets in the waning minutes of the half to give Barton a nine-point cushion.
Barton quickly pushed the lead to 14 points at 32-18 early in the second half behind a layup from sophomore forward Jolanda Mitchell (Raleigh, N.C.) and a 3-pointer from Willie. The inside play of junior forward Paula Regalado (Roanoke, Texas) and the playmaking of freshman point guard Candace Fox (Thomasville, N.C.) sparked an Abbey comeback that pulled it within 36-32, but two jumpers from senior 6-2 Barton center Kelsey Sill (Raleigh, N.C.) squashed the rally midway through the half, and then the Lady Bulldogs gradually pulled away for the victory.
