Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-A trio of Bulldogs scored in double figures and 15th ranked Barton College used the three-ball to overcome an early deficit before posting a 76-68 Conference Carolinas men's basketball victory over host Queens University of Charlotte on Thursday night in the Grady Cole Center.
Barton picked up its sixth straight win to stay atop the league standings with records of 13-2 overall and 8-1 in the conference. Queens slipped to .500 at 8-8 and 5-5.
Senior point guard Gerald Boston led the Bulldogs with 19 points while senior forward Jon Hart and freshman guard Chris Flemmings both bucketed 16 points. Boston and Flemmings both made 3-of-4 attempts from three-point distance.
Barton only led by two (67-65) entering the final two minutes but the Bulldogs closed out the win with a 9-3 run. Boston doubled up BC's lead when he banked in a difficult running jumper after driving down the left lane with 1:41 left. The Bulldogs regained possession of the ball on a bad giveaway by Queens as a guard dribbled the ball off his ankle and over the timeline for a turnover. Hart made the mistake pay when he hit a 3-pointer on the left wing with 52.3 seconds on the clock. Boston then closed out the win with four consecutive made free throws on a pair of 1-and-1 opportunities in the final 15 seconds.
Barton hit a total of 11 treys on 18 tries for a sizzling 61.1% accuracy.
Hart helped the Bulldogs win the battle of the backboards, 29-27, with 10 rebounds. Hart has supplied Barton with seven double-double of the season but it marked the first time he has recorded double-doubles in back-to-back games.
Queens had its mind on an upset bid from the start jumping out to a 10-2 lead in the first four minutes. Seniors Antonio Stabler and Brandon Nichols each scored four points in the opening flurry. Barton only made two of its first 11 shots while the Royals made 9-of-11 field goals over the first 10 minutes to increase the home lead to 21-10 at the midway point of the period.
The Bulldogs made seven 3-pointers in the final nine minutes to overcome the early deficit. A pair of trifectas by senior Zach Faircloth pulled Barton to within two points on a pair of occasions before Flemming's first bomb gave BC its first lead at 30-29. Queens responded with an 8-3 rally to take its final lead of 37-33. Triples by Boston and Flemmings raced the Bulldogs in front in the final minute but a putback by senior Sam Johnson leveled the score for the third and final time at halftime, 39-39.
Stabler scored 16 of his game-high 27 points in the first half to lead all players into the locker room.
Flemmings converted all three free throws attempts after being fouled on a three-point shot attempt just 30 seconds into the second half to give Barton a lead it would not surrender again. Queens stayed within two possessions until the final minute but the Bulldogs answered every Royal rally throughout the period. A Boston trey had Barton leading by six, 67-61, at the final media timeout but two consecutive fastbreak baskets by Queens – a dunk by Stabler and a lay-in by Nichols – closed the gap to 67-65 before Barton held the Royals without a hoop for the final 2:48.
Senior Keith Manley chipped in eight points for the Bulldogs in his first start back from injury. Faircloth and freshman Trey Lofton each added six points.
Queens had the hot hand shooting 56.5% for the game including 69.6% in the first half but the Royals only made 3-of-11 (27.3%) tries from behind the arc. Barton shot 47.4% from the floor and 84.6% from the free throw line including 9-of-11 (81.8%) in the second half.
Turnovers proved to be a key factor in the game as Barton only committed 10 turnovers while turning 15 Royals mistakes into 25 points.
Stabler shot 11-for-14 from the field en route to his 27 points. Stabler completed a double-double with 10 rebounds. Joby Glymph tallied 15 points and Nichols finished with 12.
Barton returns home for a match-up with the Flying Fleet of Erskine College in the Dog House on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
