Box Score by Kevin Buczek
HARTSVILLE, S.C.-Senior Jannetta Robinson's team-high 17th and 18th points on a pair of made free throws with 2.4 seconds left sealed a 72-68 Conference Carolinas women's basketball victory for Barton College over host Coker College on Thursday evening.
The Lady Bulldogs held a 13-point lead heading into the final five minutes before the Lady Cobras nearly completed an improbable comeback with a 17-8 run to close the contest. A deep three-pointer by freshman Heidrun Kristmundsdottir in the final seconds pulled Coker to within two points but Robinson sealed the Barton victory with her two clutch free throws.
Barton improved to 7-4 overall and stayed undefeated in league play at 2-0. The Lady Bulldogs will play its third straight conference road game in five days at Converse College (Spartanburg, S.C.) on Saturday at 3 p.m. Coker remand winless on the season at 0-11 and 0-2.
Robinson led a trio of Bulldogs in double figures with 18 points. Junior Jolanda Mitchell canned a season-high 17 points and classmate Shante Neal tallied 13 points.
Juniors Jessica Cohen and Amber Lau combined for 65% of the Cobras scoring as Cohen registered a game-high 24 points on 9-of-618 field goal shooting and 6-of-6 free throw perfection and Lau scored 15 of her 20 points on five made 3-pointers.
Barton led for majority of the first 10 minutes including a six-point lead on a junior Janae Jackson layup at the 11:08 mark. Mitchell added her own layup with 9:04 left to keep the Lady Bulldogs in front 20-17.
The Cobras slithered ahead for the remainder of the half with an ensuing 10-0 run. Cohen started the rally with the first five points including a go-ahead, three-point play. Freshman Kelley Godbout scored the final five points with a layup and three-pointer as Coker jumped ahead 27-20.
The hosts held an eight-point advantage twice before junior Elaine Morgan made the final bucket of the first half with a difficult five-footer from the paint to close the Barton deficit to six, 35-29, at halftime.
Cohen led all players in the locker room with 11 points while Lau provided Coker with nine first half points and six rebounds.
The Cobras shot 47% (14-of-30) in the opening 20 minutes compared to just 30% (13-of-43) by Barton and controlled the glass 29-22.
The Lady Bulldogs answered quickly to start the second half. Sophomore Nyeshea Willie made a steal and provided an assist on a quick jumper by Neal on the opening possession that began a 12-4 start for Barton. A Willie 3-pointer deadlocked the score before Willie provided BC with its first lead of the second stanza with two made free throws.
Lau gave Coker its final lead, 42-41, with her third made trey at the 14:56 mark before Barton pulled ahead for good with a 11 consecutive points that was highlighted by two swished jumpers by Robinson and then finished off with a layup by Jackson.
After a pair of Robinson drilled trifectas and two made freebees by Mitchell lifted Barton to a double figure cushion down the stretch before Coker made things interesting with its late 17-6 rally.
Sophomore Kenley Perry nailed two consecutive hoops to highlight the Cobra run before two converted free throws by Neal with 19 seconds left and the final two made freebees by Robinson kept Barton ahead at the end.
Morgan was held to just two points but chipped in game-high totals of 10 assists and 10 rebounds for her first double-double in a Royal Blue and White uniform. Barton finished with a 43-41 rebounding edge as the Bulldogs took over the backboards 21-12 in the second half.
Coker shot 49% from the floor including a stellar 7-of-14 (50%) from behind the arc while holding Barton to 35% accuracy. The Bulldogs did a better job from the charity stripe making 15-of-20 (75%) compared to just 9-of-16 (56%) by the Cobras.
