Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Four-year letter winner Ethan Maske scored Barton College's first five points in leading the Bulldogs to a wire-to-wire 103-84 Conference Carolinas win over visiting Lees-McRae College in the Dog House on Saturday's "Senior Night".
Barton College's coaching staff honored its senior class of Maske, Brian McNair, Evan Shelton, Zach Faircloth and Favian Beard before the game. The quintet has participated in consecutive NCAA Tournaments the last two seasons and won a regular season title in 2013 and a conference tournament title in 2012.
The Bulldogs improved to 14-9 overall and 10-3 in the league with their fourth consecutive win. Barton also moved into a tie for first place in the league standings with just three regular season games to go after Limestone defeated King, 75-72, on Saturday. Barton will visit the Limestone Saints in a rescheduled game in Gaffney, S.C., on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Sophomore Chris Flemmings scored a game-high 27 points for the Bulldogs. Junior Daniel McClendon poured in 21 points and classmate Khari Faison bucketed 16. All five seniors got in the scorebook including six by McNair, five by Maske, four by both Shelton and Beard and two by Faircloth. Junior Ryan Canoy and freshman Kendall Patterson each added seven points as Barton put up a season-high 103 points in front of a "Black Out" crowd on Senior Night.
Barton made 10 of its first 15 field goals to jump out to a 22-14 advantage. Maske started the hot-shooting night for the Bulldogs with a three-pointer from the left wing on the opening possession and then nailing a 10-footer a minute later. Layups by Shelton and Beard around a trey by McNair increased the early cushion to 12-5. McClendon netted BC's next hoop before Faison added a layup and a dunk on a pair of assists by McClendon. Flemmings capped the initial outburst with a pair of jumpers.
Lees-McRae closed the gap to three points, 22-19, on a senior Darius Smith lay-in but Barton pushed the lead to double digits for the final 27 minutes with an ensuing 16-5 run that featured two consecutive trifectas by Patterson. Freshman Jordan Sharpe extended the host's lead to 21 points at the intermission by making one free throw with just four-tenths of a second left on the clock after being fouled at midcourt on the way up for a last-second heave.
Barton shot a season-best 56.5% (39 of 69) from the floor including 23 of 40 (57.5%) in the first half. The Bulldogs have shot at least 45% in each game of their current four-game win streak. BC distributed the ball well with 27 assists on 39 made field goals including seven assists by freshman Travis McEachern and five dimes from both Beard and McNair.
The Royal Blue and White also dominated the glass, 44-29, with Shelton pulling down a game-high seven boards. Flemmings corralled six and McClendon and Canoy each yanked down five.
Barton maintained a sizable lead throughout the second half. However, Lees-McRae closed the gap to 13 points on three occasions in the final seven minutes. The Bobcats made 30 of 42 free throws (71.4%) and shot 56.5% over the final 20 minutes but the Bulldogs always responded to each rally attempt when the margin hit 13 points including another dunk by Faison, a tip-in by McClendon and then four consecutive made free throws by McClendon and Canoy before coasting to the 19-point triumph.
Junior Jacquise Moore and freshman Mike Chambers led the Bobcats with 25 points apiece. Junior Raul Tutton followed with 11 points and a team-high five rebounds. Smith totaled nine points while handing out a game-high eight assists.
