Box Score by Benny Benton
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.–Barton College junior Brianna Thomas recorded her first collegiate double-double, setting new career highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds, but the Lady Bulldogs dropped an 87-68 decision to Lenoir-Rhyne University in the SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge Saturday at Carson-Newman University.
The loss came in the 2013-14 season-opener for two teams that made NCAA Division II Tournament appearances a year ago.
Thomas, a forward from Tampa, Fla., led four players in double-figures for Barton. Nyeshea Willie added 16 points and a game-high six assists, Ashley Thornton contributed 11 points, and Cassandra Brown chipped in 10 points and five rebounds.
The Bears were led by junior guard Jenni Gust, who tossed in a game-high 23 points and added six rebounds. Morgan Cooper added 15 points and Jazmine Charles collected 13 points.
Lenoir-Rhyne won the contest at the free throw line, where it outscored the Lady Bulldogs by 22 points, more than the final margin of victory. The Bears were 31 of 40 from the charity stripe, while Barton was 9 of 14.
Thomas scored Barton's first six points of the game on a pair of 3-pointers, and the Lady Bulldogs made five of their first six from beyond the arc to keep pace with the Bears. Thomas reached double-figures and tied the game at 25-all on a layup with 8:36 still remaining in the opening half.
However, Barton was whistled for nine fouls in the final eight and a half minutes of the half, and Lenoir-Rhyne made 14 of 17 free throw attempts. Barton, meanwhile, went ice cold shooting, missing nine straight shots from the field over a span of more than six minutes. The combination was a 19-3 Bears run that put them up 44-28 with 2:29 to play in the period.
Trailing 50-35 at intermission, Barton closed to within 10 points at 60-50 on a Thornton jumper with 13:45 to play, and still trailed by just 11 with 4:35 remaining at 76-65 before Lenoir-Rhyne pulled away.
The Bears also beat the Lady Bulldogs last year in an early-season neutral-court matchup, but Barton recovered to post a 21-8 record and made their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
On Sunday at 3 p.m., the Lady Bulldogs will take on host Carson-Newman University, a 95-72 winner over Lees-McRae College on Saturday.
