Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
HARTSVILLE, S.C.-Juniors Nyeshea Willie and Ashley Thornton combined for 10 made three-pointers in an 83-67 Conference Carolinas women's basketball victory for Barton College over host Coker College on Wednesday evening in Timberlake-Lawton Gym.
Barton's (15-4 Overall, 14-1 Conf.) tenth consecutive victory has set up a huge showdown for first place in the league standings on Saturday in Wilson Gymnasium. The Bulldogs, who are undefeated in the Dog House this season, will entertain 16th ranked Limestone College (17-2, 14-1) at 5:30 p.m., for sole possession atop the league standings with sixth regular season games remaining after that battle.
Coker (12-9, 8-7) slipped into a three-way tie for fifth in the conference standings.
The Lady Bulldogs shot lights out in the first half to construct a 52-37 halftime lead. Treys by Thornton and Willie in the first 65 seconds staked Barton to a lead it would never relinquish. The duo made 9-of-12 (75%) shots from behind the arc in the first period. A trifecta by Willie at the 8:59 mark was the Lady Bulldogs seventh consecutive made three-pointer to start the game. Another Willie bomb at with 2:52 left provided the Barton with its largest lead of the half at 46-28.
Willie was a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the arc in the opening period and she scored 18 of team-high 25 points before halftime. Thornton scorched the Bulldogs net at 4-of-7 long-range precision in the first half. Thornton scored 12 of her career-high 15 points in the first 20 minutes.
Senior forward Shante Neal kept the Cobras defenders from putting too much pressure on Willie and Thornton at the perimeter by scoring 10 of her 14 frontcourt points prior to the intermission.
Barton shot 51.4% (18-of-35) in the first half en route to its sixth wire-to-wire win of the season.
The Lady Bulldogs cooled off a bit in the second half making only one 3-pointer after the break but Barton's pressure defense stepped up to keep a double figure cushion throughout the final 20 minutes. Coker committed 12 of its 18 turnovers in the second half because of the Lady Bulldogs defensive intensity.
A layup by senior point guard Elaine Morgan with 6:16 left staked BC to it largest lead, 73-52, before cruising to the 16-point win. Senior reserve forward Jolanda Mitchell netted 10 points while Morgan tossed in eight.
Junior Cassandra Brown totaled six points and senior Janae Jackson chipped in five. Both post players corralled five rebounds along with five boards by Willie.
Barton – ranked fourth nationally in turnover margin – committed seven less turnovers than the Cobras and held a 44-39 rebounding edge. Neal and Morgan led the Lady Bulldogs rebounders with seven boards apiece. Morgan also had team-best totals of five assists and three steals.
Barton made a season-high 10 three-pointers on 15 attempts (66.7%), doubling the Lady Bulldogs prior single-game high total on the season (BC made five or less 3-pointers in each of its first 18 games).
Autumn Lau finished with a game-high 26 points for Coker to top Willie's 25 points by one in a battle of the league's top two scorers. Twin sister Amber Lau added 18 points and five helpers.
