Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
BANNER ELK, N.C.-All three Barton College starting forwards scored in double figures in a 71-52 Conference Carolinas women's basketball victory at Lees-McRae College on Tuesday evening in Williams Gymnasium.
The senior frontcourt trio of Janae Jackson, Jolanda Mitchell and Shante Neal combined for 40 points, 18 rebounds, eight assists and six steals as the Lady Bulldogs improved to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in the league.
Barton junior guard Nyeshea Willie led all players with 18 points. Jackson poured in 17 points and snared a team-best seven rebounds and made three thefts. Mitchell supplied 12 points, five boards and four assists. Neal added 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior point guard Elaine Morgan rounded out the Royal Blue and White starting lineup with a game-high six assists.
Mitchell scored the Lady Bulldogs first two baskets in an 8-0 run to start the game and the visitors never trailed. Willie missed a three-point attempt in the opening seconds but Barton would then made its next nine field goal attempts to jump out to a 20-6 lead at the 13:49 mark. Willie and sophomore Brianna Thomas swished BC's next two 3-point tries before a jumper by Jackson increased the Lady Bulldogs advantage to a first-half best of 17 points (30-13) at the midway media timeout.
Lees-McRae cut the deficit to single digits at 30-21 with the next eight points after the stoppage include two consecutive trey's by sophomore guard Kabrina Truesdale. After trading the next two baskets, Jackson scored all six points in a late 6-0 Barton run to help give BC a 38-25 lead at halftime.
Jackson led all players at the intermission with 10 points. The Lady Bulldogs posts dominated play in the first period with Mitchell and Neal each adding eight points.
Truesdale was a perfect 3-for-3 on trifectas in the opening period to keep the Bobcats within striking distance at halftime for a team-best nine points. However, Truesdale would be held scoreless in the second half.
Barton shot 53.3-percent (16-30) over the first 20 minutes compared to 35.7% (10-28) by LMC.
Five different Lady Bulldogs scored BC's first five shots of the second half before an and-one play by Willie and consecutive jumpers by Thomas and junior Cassandra Brown finished off a 17-3 surge that gave the visitors a comfortable 55-28 lead with 12 minutes remaining on the clock.
Barton held a 27-point cushion five more times in the final 10 minutes before coasting to the 19-point win.
The Lady Bulldogs shot a season-best 50% (27-54) from the floor. Lees-McRae shot 38.5% (20-52). Barton also forced 24 Bobcat turnovers with 13 steals that led to a 23-12 edge on points off turnovers.
Sophomore forward Kerri Belcher crashed the glass for a game-high 10 rebounds as LMC won the battle of the boards, 36-29. Junior guard Lauren Lewis led the Bobcats with 11 points.
Barton next travels to Spartanburg, S.C., for a league tilt at Converse College on Saturday at 2 p.m.
