Box Score
by John Hackney
WILSON, N.C.-The nationally ranked Barton College men's basketball team jumped out to a 16-2 lead early in its home opener with visiting Shaw University on Saturday night and never looked back in claiming a 77-67 NCAA DII non-conference conquest of the Bears.
Barton, ranked 15th, 21st and 24th in three preseason national polls, came out fired up in front of a Dog House crowd of more than 1,000 fans and kept up the intensity throughout.
Last year's Conference Carolinas Tournament MVP Gerald Boston, who has garnered some preseason All-America recognition, fueled the Bulldogs' attack with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Junior Brian McNair added 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting in his first game in a Royal Blue and White uniform. Senior 6-foot-4 forward Jon Hart drilled eight points and pulled a team-high seven boards and sophomore guard Zach Faircloth added eight points.
Highly touted 6-foot-8 post player Karron Johnson canned a game-high 26 points for Shaw on 7-of-10 shooting and snared 10 boards for a double-double. Guards Derrick Hunter and Latrail McCoy added 15 and 14 points respectively, for the Bears, whose only lead was at 2-1.
Tenacious defense triggered the Bulldogs' first half burst as they frustrated the Bears -- who are ranked just outside the top 25 -- into 12 turnovers before the break. Meanwhile, Barton outscored the visitors 19-2 in points off turnovers en route to a commanding 47-25 halftime lead.
McNair had 12 of his points in the first half, Boston tallied nine and Faircloth bombed in a couple of key treys. The two teams also grabbed 17 boards apiece, which was a good sign for the outsized Bulldogs.
The Bears roared out the halftime locker room with a different demeanor and went on a 12-2 run. Johnson drilled a pair of short jumpers and Hunter hustled for four points in the surge, pulling Shaw within 49-37. Hart halted the run with a layup off a Boston assist, then Boston stole the ball and fed Aaron Brown for a layup. Brown flicked in a short runner at 15:01, and just like that, the Bulldogs were back in front 55-37.
Led by the playmaking of McCoy, Shaw clawed its way back again with a 19-6 run. McCoy nailed a 3-pointer and had four assists and a steal in the rally. Shaw's last four points in the comeback came from Johnson, who slammed home an alley oop from McCoy and took an inside feed from McCoy for an easy layup, trimming the lead to its smallest of the second half at 62-56.
The score was 64-58 when Faircloth dropped in a jumper, and, on the ensuing possession, Hart soared to reject Johnson's layup and Boston blitzed down the court to drain a 3-pointer for a 69-60 cushion. A 3-point play by Boston with 3:27 left and a bomb from 6-5 freshman Chris Flemmings at 1:16 put the game out of reach.
"I thought our guys played with great passion defensively to get 11 steals against a great Shaw team," 17th-year Barton head coach Ron Lievense said. "It was just an incredible defensive effort because I believe that they are one of the best teams we will face this year. Our defense in the first half tonight really set the tone for us, and then Shaw, being the championship team they are, came back, but our guys worked hard and were able to sustain the victory."
Both teams wound up with 33 rebounds. The Bulldogs shot 29-of-65 from the floor for 44.6 percent, including 6-of-16 from downtown, while Shaw finished 21-of-46 for 45.7 percent and was 3-of-13 from 3-point land. The visitors committed 17 turnovers and Barton had 12. Shaw netted 22-of-29 free throws while Barton was 13-of-20.
Barton entertains Fayetteville State at 7:30 Tuesday night.
