Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-A pair of made free throws by 2012 First Team All-Conference Carolinas performer junior Gerald Boston finished off an improbable rally by visiting Barton College to erase a 19-point second half deficit as the Bulldogs upset the top seed from the East Division Queens University of Charlotte, 65-64, in the semifinals of the league tournament on Friday night on the campus of Johnson & Wales University.
Barton (19-9 overall) advances to the championship game of the 2012 Conference Carolinas Tournament against Mount Olive College on Sunday at 2 p.m., in Mount Olive, N.C. The Bulldogs have won five consecutive games and split the regular season series against the Trojans. Queens probably ends its season at 19-10.
Boston is ranked second in the league in free throw percentage and came up big for the Bulldogs making all 13 attempts from the charity stripe including a perfect 11-of-11 in the second half to help Barton complete the comeback. Boston finished with a game-high 29 points and played 38 of 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs trailed by 19 at 50-31 in the second half before closing the game with a 34-14 rally. Barton held Queens without a field goal over the last three minutes and closed the game on a 6-0 finish in the final 90 seconds. Junior Keith Manley made it a one possession game with a baseline jumper off an inbounds pass by Boston with 1:26 left. Junior Jarrett Jernigan then made a steal on the Royals next possession and Haley converted on a pair of free throws to inch the Bulldogs to within one with 48 ticks left. Haley then made BC's 13th steal of the second half and Boston drew the foul call as Haley hit him with an outlet pass for a potential fastbreak layup. Boston confidently nailed the game-tying and go-ahead freebees. Barton then used great pressure defense over the final 30 seconds limiting Queens to two contested shots that missed.
Barton only shot 35.8% for the game including an ice cold 0-for-12 performance from three-point distance but the Bulldogs turned 26 Queens turnovers into 28 points. Barton is ranked fifth nationally in steals and made 17 total thefts.
Consecutive close range shots by Jernigan and junior Joseph Velez gave Barton a 15-111 lead at the 13:44 mark of the first half before the Royals raced ahead with a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 23-17 advantage.
The Bulldogs bit back with the next five points to pull within one before Queens doubled up Barton, 16-8, over the final seven minutes to take a nine point lead (39-30) at halftime. The Royals were leading by 11 in the final minute but a late drive to the basket and lay-in by Boston sliced the halftime deficit to single digits. Boston led all players into the locker room with 12 points at the intermission.
Queens shot 53.3% (16-of-30) in the first half. Barton shot well as well at 45.8% (11-of-24) but all seven three-point attempts were off target. The Royals held a 20-16 rebounding edge at the intermission with senior Daniel Bailey rising up for eight boards.
Barton – ranked No. 1 nationally in turnover margin – were uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball in the first 20 minutes committing 12 turnovers while Queens only made 10 mistakes. However, BC only had eight turnovers in the second half compared to 14 by the hosts.
BC went on to miss its first 10 shot attempts of the second half allowing Queens to pull out to its 50-31 lead with an 11-1 run to start the second half. Senior Aaron Suggs ended the Bulldogs drought with a steal and layup to account for Barton's first field goal of the final frame with 12:31 on the clock.
Barton trailed by 15 at 58-43 before 11 consecutive Bulldog points pulled the visitors to within four that set up the dramatic finish.
The 11-0 surge was highlighted by seven points by Boston, who was the only Barton player to finish the game in double digit scoring. Senior Jaren Haley scored all eight of his points from the free throw line and Jernigan led BC's reserves with seven. Manley had six points and a team-high six rebounds. Boston and Haley each came up with three steals.
Bailey highlighted play for the Royals with a double-double that consisted of a team-high 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Both squads took nearly 30 free throws with Barton having the hotter hand making 27-of-32 (84.4%) compared to 19-of-29 (65.5%) by Queens.
