Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
DUE WEST, S.C.-Junior guard Nyeshea Willie totaled game-highs of 16 points and five assists in a 73-44 Conference Carolinas women's basketball victory for NCAA Southeast Region sixth ranked Barton College on Saturday evening over host Erskine College in Belk Arena.
All 10 Lady Bulldogs that played saw at least 10 minutes of action and scored as Barton improved to 18-6 overall and 17-3 in the league. BC maintained a two-game lead for second place in the league standings with its third consecutive win. The Bulldogs can secure the second seed in the 2013 Conference Carolinas Tournament with a win in either of its final two regular season games next week in the Dog House. The Lady Bulldogs are locked in to host a quarterfinals game in the league tourney on Tuesday, March 5 and the second seed would mean Barton would also host a semifinals game on Friday, March 8 if they advance.
Barton next hosts Belmont Abbey College on Tuesday before entertaining local rival Mount Olive College on Friday's 'Senior Day' in its regular season finale. Both games are slated to tip-off at 5:30 p.m.
Wlillie – the league's leading scorer – netted a game-high 16 points on 4-7 shooting and a perfect 6-6 free throw precision. Willie's line included five dimes, three steals and three rebounds.
Senior forward Shante Neal scored in double figures for a sixth straight time with 10 points. Juniors Ashley Thornton and Brianna Thomas tossed in nine points apiece and seniors Janae Jackson and Elaine Morgan each contributed eight. Thornton made a trio of treys.
Willie, Jackson, Thornton and Morgan all made three steals. Barton finished with 16 thefts and forced the Fleet into 21 turnovers that led to 19 extra points.
The Lady Bulldogs scored the game's first 15 points to dominate from the onset. Morgan took the opening tip to the basket for an easy two just four seconds into play. Morgan scored all eight of her points in the opening 15-0 run on four layups.
Barton held the Fleet without a field goal for the first 10 minutes and led 17-3 at the under-10 media timeout. Thornton swished a three-pointer out of the timeout to increase the visitors cushion to 20-3.
Erskine dug its deep 17-point hole by missing its first 12 field goal attempts. EC's first three points came at the foul line. Junior Lindsey Weidenaar ended the Flying Fleet drought but sinking a three-pointer at the 9:14 mark. Freshman Tori Whittenberg canned her own 3-pointer from the top of the key just 30 seconds later to pull the hosts within 11 at 20-9.
Barton answered the Fleets spurt with a 12-2 run to maintain control. The Bulldog response included treys by Willie and Thornton and a pair of hoops by Neal. BC led by as many as 26 on a bank shot by senior Ashley Crumel but a late lay-in by Erskine junior Jana Dixon had the halftime score at 40-16.
The Royal Blue and White took almost twice as many shots as Erskine in the first half by controlling the boards, 23-17, and winning the turnover margin, 16-.7. Barton shot 43% (17-40) while holding the Fleet to 24% (5-21).
The Lady Bulldogs scored the first eight points of the second half and led by as many as 35 on a Thomas basket at the 7:37 mark. Barton coasted to the 29-point victory by shooting 47.6% in the second half while holding Erskine to just 26.5%.
BC finished the contest firing at 44.3% (27-61) accuracy including 30% (6-20) from long range and a stellar 86.7% (13-15) from the charity stripe. The Fleet was held to 25.5% (14-55) from the floor including an icy 4-21 (19%) from 3-point range.
The Lady Bulldogs crashed the glass for a 43-39 rebounding edge led by a team-high eight boards by junior Cassandra Brown. Jackson snared six boards.
Barton veteran head coach Wendee Saintsing received contributions throughout her lineup. Brown logged five points; Crumel cashed in four; and senior Briana Terry and sophomore Kaila Lea each added a pair of points.
Weidenaar led the Flying Fleet with 11 points and four steals. Sophomore Tara Potter scored all 10 of her points in the second half and Dixon flirted with a double-double by supplying eight points and grabbing a game-high nine rebounds.
