Box Score by Benny Benton
BANNER ELK, N.C. – Barton College's Chris Flemmings used a torrid first-half shooting performance to score a career-high 32 points, and the Bulldogs survived a late charge by Lees-McRae College in a 92-84 Conference Carolinas road victory Wednesday night at Williams Gymnasium.
Flemmings, a sophomore from Cary, N.C., lit up the Bobcats for 23 points in the opening period, 21 of those coming on 7-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. He scored Barton's last 12 points of the period on four 3-pointers in a span of 3:13 to help the Bulldogs (7-8, 3-2) to an 11-point halftime cushion.
Barton led as many as 16 points midway through the second half when Lees-McRae (6-9, 1-4) used full-court pressure and a trapping half-court defense to get the Bulldogs out of sync offensively and into turnovers.
After shooting 49 percent (20 of 41) in the first period, Barton managed just 30 percent (9 of 30) in the second half, and the Bulldogs turned it over 11 times in the final frame. As a result, the Bobcats stormed back from that 16-point deficit to within three points at 83-80 following a pair of Darius Malbon free throws with 2:20 to play.
Daniel McClendon made two free throws for Barton on its next possession, and Darryl Bond made a layup for LMC following two offensive rebounds by the Bobcats to keep the margin at three, 85-82, with 2:01 to go.
Barton fought through the full-court pressure and ran nearly 30 seconds off the clock before Travis McEachern drove into the lane, drawing the defense and dishing a pass to Evan Shelton on the low block. Shelton, who returned to the lineup after missing two games due to injury, made the layup and was fouled, and his free throw put the Bulldogs up six, 88-82, with 1:36 remaining.
After Bond missed a layup and Flemmings turned the ball over, Flemmings blocked a Mike Chambers layup and came down with the rebound, his team-high 10th of the game. The double-double for Flemmings was his fourth of the season.
The ensuing free throw was his 29th point of the contest, surpassing the career high he had established just three games earlier against Virginia State University. He would add three more free throws in the final 1:11 to put away the victory for Barton.
Flemmings has now scored at least 25 points in three of his last four games. He was one of four double-figure scorers for the Bulldogs. Senior Brian McNair added 14 points, 11 of those coming in the opening half. McClendon chipped in 13 points and Khari Faison tossed in 11.
With Flemmings and McNair kept more in check in the second half, Shelton also played a big part, scoring all eight of his points and grabbing six of his seven boards in the period.
Chambers scored 19 points to pace Lees-McRae and added nine rebounds. Bond posted a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Raul Tutton recorded 13 points, six boards and three steals.
The Bobcats enjoyed their largest lead of the game, five points, five minutes into the game after an 8-2 run put them up 14-9. The two teams traded baskets, and then Barton went on a 7-0 spurt, capped by a Flemmings 3-pointer. Lees-McRae responded with a 6-0 run to pull within one at 23-22, and the Barton lead bounced between one and four points until the last five minutes of the half.
Leading by two with 4:53 to play in the period, two free throws and a layup by McNair, a 3-pointer by McEachern and a trey by Flemmings comprised a 10-2 run that put the Bulldogs ahead by double-figures for the first time, 44-34, with 3:13 to go until intermission.
Four missed shots in a row by Barton opened the door for a Bobcat rally, and consecutive layups by Tutton along with a layup by Chad Hicks cut the Bulldog lead to just four at 44-40 with 1:29 to go before the half. However, Flemmings made three 3-pointers in a span of 1:12 as Barton closed out the half on a 9-2 run to take a 53-42 advantage to the locker room.
After the break, Flemmings continued right where he left off, making the first basket of the second half to put the Bulldogs up 13. But Barton missed its next three shots and turned the ball over twice, and LMC went on an 11-1 spurt to cut the deficit to three points at 56-53 just two and a half minutes into the period.
It took only a minute and a half for Barton to regain a double-digit lead once more, however, as a putback by McEachern, two free throws by Faison and a 3-pointer by McNair moved the Bulldogs in front 63-53 with 16:06 left.
Barton led by seven with 12:01 remaining when two free throws by Flemmings, a three-point play by Shelton, another free throw by Flemmings and a McClendon layup off a Jordan Sharpe steal made up an 8-2 run that put the Bulldogs up 13 at 71-58 with 10:18 to play.
Roughly 30 seconds later, LMC was called for a foul and a technical, and Barton converted three of four free throws to take its largest lead of the game, 16 points, at 74-58, with 9:49 remaining.
The Bulldogs still enjoyed a 10-point with 4:40 left following a McClendon steal and dunk. However, three straight Barton turnovers against the Bobcats' pressure led to a 6-0 run for Lees-McRae that cut the margin to four with 3:34 left and set up an anxious finish for the Bulldogs.
Barton will play five of its next six games at home, beginning Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. contest in the Dog House against Limestone College.
