Box Score by Kevin Buczek
BELMONT, N.C.-Reigning Conference Carolinas Player of the Week Nyeshea Willie scored a game-high 26 points in helping Barton College hold off relentless Belmont Abbey College, 76-67, on Wednesday evening in the Wheeler Center.
The Lady Bulldogs led by 27 points in the first half but the Crusaders fought back and pulled within five points on six occasions in the second half. However, Barton shot 92% (23 of 25) from the free throw line including 17 of 18 (94.4%) in the second half to hold off the unlikely comeback by Belmont Abbey.
Barton led wire-to-wire for a second straight game and move back to .500 on the season at 4-4 while beginning conference play 1-0. Belmont Abbey – a squad that defeated current nationally-ranked No. 23 Shaw University a week ago – suffered its first league loss slipping to 5-4 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Willie, a senior guard from Virginia Beach, Va., poured in her 26 points on 58% shooting from the field. Willie also made all 10 of her free throw tries including six consecutive clutch attempts in the final three minutes.
Barton won the opening tip and a junior forward Brianna Thomas putback on the Lady Bulldogs first possession put the visitors ahead from the start. A floater by Willie and another layup by Thomas quickly gave BC a 6-nil advantage in the first two minutes. Willie and Thomas each connected on a three-pointer in the next minute to extend the advantage to 12-3.
The Lady Bulldogs shot a scorching 60% (18 of 30) from the field in the first 20 minutes and led by as many as 27 (42-15) on a freshman center Caila Carter lay-in at the 4:19 mark. Belmont Abbey followed with an ensuing 12-2 rally by another Carter basket in the final seconds sent Barton into the halftime locker room leading by 19 at 46-27.
Willie had 13 points at the intermission. Carter cashed in all 10 of her points in the first half and Thomas tallied seven of her 11 in the opening period.
Barton cooled off in the second half and Belmont Abbey went on a 21-9 run in the first 10 minutes to slice the deficit to inside double digits at the second media timeout, 55-48. The Crusaders eventually got to within five points on five occasions but each time the Lady Bulldogs answered with points to not let the hosts get any closer. Freshman Tiffany Webster responded the first two times with a couple 15-footers from the right side of the foul line on two straight possessions.
Abbey inched to within five points for the last time at 70-65 inside the final two minutes on a pair of made free throws by sophomore guard Morgan Midkiff but Barton made its final eight free throws – six by Willie and two by Webster – and Belmont Abbey missed its next five shot attempts as the Lady Bulldogs finished off the nine-point victory.
Senior forward Cassandra Brown flirted with a double-double by producing nine points and nine rebounds for Barton. Brown also made a game-high three steals even though the Bulldogs committed one more turnover than BAC, 19-18.
Webster scored all six of her points in the second half and senior guard Ashley Thornton posted eight points in her first game back from injury.
Midkiff led the Crusaders with 18 points, 15 of which came in the final 20 minutes. Junior forward Tajanna Brown bucketed 11 points and joined senior forward Melisa Foures with eight rebounds apiece.
Barton held a dominating 20-12 rebounding surplus at halftime but Belmont Abbey took over the board in the second half, 25-13, to finish with a final 37-33 edge on the glass.
The Lady Bulldogs only shot 30% in the second half but still finished at 48% (24 of 50) for the game. The Abbey took 16 more shots with 17 offensive boards but shot under 40-percent at 39.4%.
Barton will host its last home game before the semester break against Conference Carolinas foe Erskine College on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
