Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Barton College made seven of its eight 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes and then maintained a double-digit advantage for the final 30 minutes en route to a 83-59 Conference Carolinas men's basketball victory over visiting Pfeiffer University in the Dog House on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs had five players reach the 10-plus point plateau with good ball distribution that included 22 assists on the teams 28 made field goals. Senior guard Brian McNair led the well-balanced Barton offense with 15 points and four helpers. Junior forward Khari Faison and freshman Jordan Sharpe each bucketed 11 points while junior guard Daniel McClendon and freshman guard Kendall Patterson each sank 10.
Sophomore guard Chris Flemmings – the Bulldogs leading scorer – was held to a season-low seven points but he was influential in Barton's success by contributing team-high marks of nine rebounds and five assists. Faison, Sharpe and senior Evan Shelton all pulled down eight rebounds as the hosts dominated the glass with a 49-33 rebounding advantage.
Barton (9-8 overall, 5-2 conf.) moved over .500 for the first time this season with its fifth win in its last six games. The Bulldogs have won a season-high three consecutive games and are victorious in straight home contests while remaining undefeated when scoring at least 75 points at 8-0.
The early barrage of seven 3-pointers set the tone of the game. Barton never trailed as a pair of trifectas by freshman guard Travis McEachern provided the Bulldogs with a quick 8-2 lead. Sharpe made two of his own around a trey by McNair before two consecutive triples by Patterson extended BC's advantage to 27-8 at the 11:47 mark.
The Bulldogs were able to maintain a sizable cushion until the intermission by holding freshman scoring sensation Mike Smith to just five points in the first half. Smith entered the game ranked third in NCAA Division II with 24.9 points per game. However, Barton held Smith to just two made field goals on six attempts and forced him into more turnovers than assists, 2-1, in the first 20 minutes.
BC controlled the backboards with a 29-13 rebounding surplus at the midway point that helped the Royal Blue to its 39-25 halftime advantage. Sharpe led all players at the break with seven rebounds and Barton outscored Pfeiffer 12-2 on second-chance points.
The resilient Falcons pulled to within 11 points on four occasions early in the second half before Barton ended any threats of a comeback by making 7 of 8 free throws in a decisive 11-2 run that put the Bulldogs up by 20 with just over 10 minutes left in regulation. McClendon made four consecutive free throws during that span.
BC had struggled from the line earlier in the year but made 19 of 24 freebees on Tuesday for a season-best marksmanship of 79.2%. The Bulldogs have shot at least 70-percent from the charity stripe in four consecutive games.
Sharpe drilled his game-high third 3-pointer with 7:45 on the clock to once again extended Barton's lead to 20 at 63-43. The Bulldogs maintained a 20-plus point advantage from that point and Faison's second dunk of the half on a behind-the-back pass by senior Ethan Maske put the exclamation point on the win in the final two minutes.
Faison flirted with a double-double with his 11 points and eight rebounds. McEachern finished with eight points and Shelton added six points to his eight boards.
Smith scored 12 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 17 points, which was still eight points shy of his season average. Sophomore AJ Clark was the only other Falcon in double figures with 13 points.
Barton shot 43.1% (28 of 65) and held one of the league's highest scoring teams to just 36.5% (23 of 63).
The Bulldogs next visit Erskine College in Due West, S.C., on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
