Box Score by Benny Benton
GAFFNEY, S.C. – Barton College senior Nyeshea Willie scored a game-high 19 points, but the Lady Bulldogs turned in their worst shooting performance of the season in dropping an 80-53 Conference Carolinas decision to league leader Limestone College Monday night in the Timken Center.
A six-point game at the half turned into a rout after Limestone (18-5, 13-2) shot 55 percent in the second half while Barton made just 24 percent (7 of 29), allowing the Saints to outscore the Lady Bulldogs 47-28 in the period.
For the contest, Barton (10-13, 7-8) made just 28.8 percent from the field, its lowest total since a loss at Pfeiffer University during the 2012-13 season.
The Saints placed five players in double-figures, led by Ayshia McNeil's 15 points. Alicia Brookins added 14 points and eight rebounds, Celestra Warren chipped in 13 points, and Jasmine Kearse contributed 12 points, most of those coming on a trio of 3-pointers.
As a team, Limestone made eight 3-pointers in the contest, while Barton sank just two, both by Willie.
Despite leading both teams in scoring, Willie was held six points below her average, and saw a streak of seven straight games of at least 20 points come to an end.
In addition to Willie's 19 points and seven rebounds, the Lady Bulldogs received 12 points from freshman Tiffany Webster as well as nine points and a team-high eight rebounds from freshman Caila Carter.
Barton led just once in the game, overcoming an early five-point lead by the Saints to take a 14-13 advantage on a layup by Kaila Lea. However, McNeil put Limestone right back in the lead with a 3-pointer, the start of a 16-6 run for the Saints that gave them their biggest advantage of the half, nine points, at 39-30.
A layup by Webster, a 3-pointer by Willie and a free throw by Carter pulled the Lady Bulldogs within three at 29-26, but Kearse answered with a 3-pointer of her own to send the Saints to intermission with a six-point cushion, 32-26.
Limestone extended the lead to double-digits just 17 seconds into the second period after a pair of Barton turnovers led to easy baskets, but two free throws and a 3-pointer by Willie cut the deficit in half to five, 36-31, two minutes into the half.
From there, however, things went south quickly for the Lady Bulldogs. Barton missed two shots and turned the ball over on its next four possessions, and Limestone scored on five straight possessions, twice from 3-point range, to go on a 12-0 run that effectively put the game away at 48-31.
The Lady Bulldogs pulled as close as 13 points on a Willie layup midway through the half, but Barton's cold shooting and 16 second-half turnovers helped Limestone surge in front by as many as 29 points with just under six minutes remaining.
Limestone outscored Barton 26 to 11 in points off turnovers and 24 to 6 from behind the 3-point arc, a 33-point difference greater than the final margin of victory.
Monday's contest was a game rescheduled due to last week's snow storm, so both teams will have a quick turnaround to their next game. Barton will hit the road again on Wednesday to Misenheimer, N.C., where it will take on Pfeiffer University in a 5:30 p.m. contest.
