Box Score WILSON, N.C.-Center Kelsey Sill recorded a double-double on her Senior Night but the Barton College women's basketball team lost its regular-season finale to Limestone College 87-73 on Saturday night in the Dog House.
The Saints never trailed and finished the regular season with an 18-8 overall and 14-6 league record. The No. 6 Southeast Region ranked Lady Bulldogs will enter postseason play at 22-4 and 18-2.
Barton won the regular season title, earning the top seed in the 2011 Conference Carolinas Tournament. The Lady Bulldogs will entertain No. 8 Lees-McRae College in quarterfinals action Tuesday at 7 p.m. No. 3 Limestone will host a first round game against No. 6 Erskine College at the same time Tuesday.
Sill, a 6-2 center from Raleigh, N.C., totaled 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Sill and fellow seniors Jamila Johnson (Garner, N.C.) and Shawnta Shelton (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) were all honored after the game for their contributions to the Barton women's basketball program. Johnson scored eight points and dished out a game-high six assists while Shelton produced 14 points, four rebounds, and a game-high three steals.
Limestone sophomore guard Maria Young (Asheville, N.C.) – the reigning Conference Carolinas Player of the Week – scored a game-high 28 points. Classmate Stephanie Hayes (Hopkins, S.C.) followed with 19 points.
A pair of Saints notched double-doubles in junior Kaileigh West (Jacksonville, Ill.) and sophomore Tia Williams (Dacula, Ga.). West bucketed 13 points and Williams swished 10. West and Williams each pulled down 10 boards.
After trading baskets in the first 90 seconds, a jumper by Young gave Limestone a lead it would not relinquish for the final 38 minutes. The Saints lead grew to 13 (24-11) in the first half before Barton cut the deficit to six (34-28) at halftime.
Limestone kept a single digit advantage for the first 12 minutes of the second half before a 13-5 outburst in a two minute stretch sealed the victory for the visitors. The run was keynoted by points in the paint on four consecutive Saints possessions followed by a Hayes made 3-pointer on the left elbow.
Freshman Nyeshea Willie (Virginia Beach, Va.) kept the Bulldogs in the game scoring 12 of her team-high 16 points in the second half. Junior Jannetta Robinson (Willard, N.C.) added eight points and seven rebounds and sophomore Shante Neal (Spring Hope, N.C.) chipped in nine boards and seven points.
The Saints shot 43.3% (29-of-67) including 55.6% (5-of-9) from three-point distance while holding the Bulldogs to just 33.8% (24-of-71) field goal accuracy including 18.2% (4-of-22) from behind the arc.
Both squads had 45 rebounds. Barton ranks first in the conference in turnover margin but committed 17 mistakes compared to just 14 by Limestone on Saturday.
