Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Sophomore guard Chris Flemmings scored a game-high 20 points including a game-tying, put-back in the final minute for host Barton College but a late offensive rebound and lay-in by senior forward Jaron Moore lifted visiting Elizabeth City State University to a dramatic 65-62 men's basketball victory in the Barton 45-Second Classic in Wilson Gymnasium Friday night.
The host Bulldogs led for most of the game including as many as 11 in the first half before the Vikings closed the season-opener for both teams on a decisive 16-8 run.
Elizabeth City State (1-0) plays Mount Olive (0-1) begin play on the Saturday's second day of the 45-Second Classic at 2 p.m., before Barton (0-1) entertains Shaw (1-0) at approximately 4 p.m. The Bears defeated the Trojans, 81-79, on a slam dunk by Andre Paulk with under two seconds left on the clock.
The Vikings received balanced scoring from its starters. Moore, junior Darrell Ward, and sophomore DeCarlos Anderson all scored 12 points while junior Glenn Patterson and sophomore Dominique Byrd each swished eight.
Flemmings canned four 3-pointers en route to his 20 points and he just missed a double-double with a team-high nine rebounds. Junior reserve forward Ryan Canoy scored a career-high 10 points and junior transfer Khari Faison supplied seven points and eight rebounds in his Barton debut.
The Royal Blue and White hit five of its seven trifectas in the first half to build up a 33-27 halftime advantage. The score was tied early at 12-12 before the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run to construct Barton's largest lead of the night at 23-12. Canoy scored five of the 11 points in the outburst featuring a three-pointer and a fastbreak layup off a steal and assist by senior Zach Faircloth.
Barton maintained at least a two-possession lead for the final 10 minutes of the half. Anderson scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half to keep the visitors within reach at the intermission.
A transition layup by junior Evan Shelton on a steal by freshman Kendall Patterson kept the Bulldogs in front by nine at 48-39 with 12:52 left before ECSU started chipping away at the deficit. The Vikings pulled to within one possession a several times but Barton answering the first couple of times. A Faison layup kept the hosts in front by five, 54-49, until Elizabeth City State held the Bulldogs without a field goal for the next three minutes. The Vikings went on an ensuing 9-2 run to take the lead at 58-56. Junior DJ Carnegie made a five-footer in the paint to end the rally and knot the score before the two teams started traded punches down the stretch.
ECSU took the lead two more times but a pair of made free throws by Flemmings and a tip-in by Flemmings leveled the score each time. Flemmings put-back as the clocked ticked inside one minute tied the score for an eighth and final time at 62-62.
Barton's defense played hard for the next 30 seconds and looked to force a turnover on an errant pass out of bounds but one referee signaled that the ball was deflected and remained the Vikings ball with seven seconds on the shot clock. Patterson missed an ensuing shot for Elizabeth City State but Moore pulled down the offensive rebound on the left side of the rim and went up strong to put away the game-winning, contested layup.
ECSU had a 17-5 surplus on second-chance points.
The Bulldogs had a chance to tie it on a Faircloth shot from the free throw line but Ward was able to rebound the wayward shot and was immediately fouled. Ward made the first free throw but missed the second that was corralled by Faircloth to give Barton one last opportunity. Flemmings took a contested trey from the left arc with about five seconds to go that clanked off the front iron and went into the hands of freshman Travis McEachern, who was able to rush out to the perimeter and take one last turnaround three-pointer from the right wing that just missed as time expired.
ECSU shot 37.5% for the game including nearly 40% in the second half. Barton cooled off shooting just 32.7% from the floor including just 2 of 12 (16.7%) from three-point range in the final frame. Both teams struggled from the free throw line shooting around 60% but the Bulldogs miscues from the charity stripe proved more costly because they were awarded nine more attempts. BC was 19 of 32 (59.4%) and ECSU was 14 of 23 (60.9%).
The Vikings, who committed 13 turnovers in the first half, only committed four more mistakes in the second half for 17 total turnovers. The Bulldogs had 18 turnovers.
