by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-The Barton College women's basketball team begins a late stretch of four games in eight days and has a chance to move up several position in the Conference Carolinas standings with successful play beginning with its penultimate home game that will also be "Blackout Night" in the Dog House against Lees-McRae College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (note moved up starting time due to weather).
Barton sports information will be providing Live Stats and Live Video for Saturday's contest.
Barton basketball fans can follow the Bulldogs throughout the season on www.BartonBulldogs.com and via social media including Twitter and Facebook.
Barton College Women's Basketball
The Lady Bulldogs are coming off consecutive overtime games and will now be playing three games over the next five days. Barton (9-12 overall, 6-7 conf.) knocked off Belmont Abbey in overtime in its last home game but then suffered an OT road loss at North Greenville last Saturday. BC is in seventh place in the league standings but still has a shot at moving into the top-4 and hosting a quarterfinals game with strong play in its last five regular season games.
Senior guard Nyeshea Willie continues to increase her stellar scoring average that now ranks second in NCAA Division II at 25.0 points per game after scoring 38 points in regulation against North Greenville (she fouled out before overtime). Willie also leads the league in free throw percentage (88.6%), and is second in steals (2.71) and fifth in assists (3.5).
Junior forward Brianna Thomas is Barton's second-leading scorer at 10.7 points per game. Thomas also ranks third in the league with a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game.
Other top scorers for the Lady Bulldogs include freshman guard Tiffany Webster (9.8 points), senior guard Ashley Thornton (9.6), senior forward Cassandra Brown (6.7), freshman forward Caila Carter (5.7) and junior guard Kaila Lea (4.1).
Barton had its 16-game win streak against Lees-McRae snapped in January when the Lady Bulldogs lost 82-74 in Banner Elk, N.C. Willie and Webster led BC with 22 and 15 points, respectively.
Lees-McRae College Women's Basketball
Lees-McRae (11-11 overall, 8-5 conf.) has moved into a tie for fourth place in the league standings by winning its last two games against Converse and Erskine. The Bobcats are 8-1 at home but just 3-10 on the road.
LMC's five primary starters account for over 75% of the team's scoring output including sophomore forward Alyssa Munson (14.1 points), senior guard Lauren Lewis (14.0), junior forward Kerri Belcher (10.5), senior guard Layana De Souza (8.2) and junior guard Kabrina Truesdale (7.3). Munson has the league's top field-goal percentage (51.1%) while Lewis is the conference's top 3-point threat (2.8 made treys per game). Belcher ranks just behind Willie in steals (2.6/3rd) and Thomas in rebounds (8.4/4th).
The Bobcats jumped out to a 22-5 lead against Barton in the first meeting and was able to hang on for the 12-point win. Lewis led Lees-McRae with a game-high 24 points while Munson produced a double-double of 19 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. LMC shot 46.4% and pulled down 44 rebounds while Barton shot 33.3% and had 37 boards.
