Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Freshman Danny Shand and junior Jake Veasley combined for more than 50 Bulldog points but all five Pacer starters scored in double figures as preseason No. 20 nationally ranked University of South Carolina at Aiken held on to defeat host Barton College, 89-86, in the final game of the 45-Second Classic in the Dog House Saturday afternoon.
Senior Ryan Canoy pulled the Bulldogs to within one point with a pair of made free throws with five second left but Barton was forced to foul and junior Jordan Foster converted on his own two freebees. Barton needed to cross half court in less than four seconds to get a good look at a game-tying 3-pointer but the Pacers made it difficult by putting Dominic Early, who has a long wingspan for 6-foot-6, on the inbounds passer. Early first deflected a high inbounds pass attempt right back out of bounds before stealing the second try with his left hand. He was fouled quickly but kept the door open by missing both free throws. However, BC was unable to draw a foul call while drawing contact on a three-quarters court desperation attempt at the buzzer off the second missed free throw.
The Pacers, who finished as the NCAA Division II national runner-ups last year, bounced back from a season-opening loss to University of Mount Olive on Friday to level their record at 1-1.
The Bulldogs were unable win a second straight one-possession contest in the 45-Second Classic and will enter Conference Carolinas play at Belmont Abbey College on Wednesday with a 1-1 overall record. Barton was trying to avenge a loss to USCA in the 'Sweet 16' of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Shand and Veasley each made eight field goals including a trio of 3-pointers apiece in route to their productive nights. Shand was BC's top scorer for a second straight day with 27 points while adding five assist and three steals. Veasley flirted with a double-double totaling 25 points and eight rebounds.
Canoy continued his strong play to start the season coming off the bench and providing 14 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes of work. Junior Dominique Byrd contributed seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds; sophomore Kendall Patterson tallied seven points; and sophomore Daniel Westbrook chipped in six points and nine rebounds.
USCA got 76 of its 89 points from its five starters. Junior Keith Barfield and sophomore Jay Lane led the way with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Freshman Rashad Lewis registered 13 points; Early finished with 11; and freshman Tyreece Brice added 10 points.
The Pacers protected the ball well leading to the road win. USCA only committed nine turnovers compared to 21 costly mistakes by the Bulldogs. USCA enjoyed a 23-13 advantage on points off turnovers.
Barton jumped out early on the nationally-ranked foe with Veasley and Westbrook each draining a 3-pointer to take a quick 6-nil advantage. The hosts maintained a slim lead for the first seven minutes until a layup put the Pacers in front for the first time at 10-8 with 12:33 left in the first. The Bulldogs responded as a Shand steal and fastbreak layup regained a five-point cushion for BC at 27-22.
USCA answered with a late 22-13 run to close the half. A transition lay-in by Anthony extended the Pacers lead to six in the final minute but two made free throws by Shand closed the Bulldogs halftime deficit to 44-40.
The Pacers never relinquished the lead in the second half despite numerous rallies by the Bulldogs pulling within one possession on five separate occasions. USC Aiken extended its lead to as many as 12 on a putback dunk by Early to make the score 64-52 with 12:36 on the scoreboard.
Barton scored the next eight points including five straight by Veasley and then a 3-pointer by Shand to pull within four at 64-60. USCA regained a double digit lead at 74-64 and then still led by nine at 73-82 before the Bulldogs barked back one last time. BC went on a quick 7-1 run featuring a pair of made free throws by Patterson, a Byrd jumper and a Veasley layup to claw back at 83-80 with 45 ticks left but USCA went on to make six of its next eight free throws to hold onto that same three-point lead at the final whistle.
Barton shot 48.3% (28 for 58) and held a 41-33 rebounding edge but 21 turnovers were very costly against a perennial power in Aiken. The Pacers shot 43.1% (28 for 65). BC made all eight of its free throws in the first half but five of the squad's seven missed attempts from the charity stripe in the second half came in the final six minutes to hurt its comeback chances.
2014 marked the third year of the Barton College 45-Second Classic. The Bulldogs have hosted some of the best men's basketball programs in the area each time and have gone 1-1 all three times.
