by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College women's basketball team will look to turn the new year into a fresh new start, beginning with Conference Carolinas road games Saturday at Lees-McRae College and Sunday at King University. Both contests are scheduled for 4 p.m. starts.
Lees-McRae sports information will provide live stats and video for Saturday's contest, and King sports information will provide live stats and video for Sunday's game.
Barton women's basketball fans can follow the Lady Bulldogs all season on www.BartonBulldogs.com and via social media including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Barton College Women's Basketball
The Lady Bulldogs finished 2014 on a four-game losing skid to fall to 2-8 on the year. However, for all the disappointment over those results, Barton can move above .500 in the league with victories in both games this weekend.
BC posted a 1-2 conference mark during its pre-holiday schedule, with all three games played against teams currently in the top four of the league standings. The Royal Blue and White handed Emmanuel College its only loss of the season, and suffered road losses at Belmont Abbey College and Erskine College, both 3-1 in early league play.
After struggling with its shooting most of the season, Barton turned in two of its better efforts in its final two games before the break. However, those improvements were offset by turnovers – at least 25 in three of the last four outings. The miscues, coupled with BC's league-low 8.6 assists per game, has left Barton with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.45 that stands second-lowest in the country.
The Lady Bulldogs remain in the middle of the pack in the conference in both scoring offense (62.8) and scoring defense (67.4).
Senior Kaila Lea and sophomore Tiffany Webster are each averaging 11 points per game, while freshman Alexis Johnson is chipping in 10 points and six rebounds per contest. Senior Brianna Thomas is contributing nearly six rebounds and one block per game, and sophomore Shatisha Dukes is adding five boards per contest.
Webster reached double-figures in all four meetings with LMC and King last year, and Dukes produced 14 points and seven rebounds in last season's game at Lees-McRae.
Lees-McRae College Women's Basketball
The Bobcats lost their last two games before the holidays to close out 2014 with a 3-7 overall record. Lees-McRae went 2-2 in league play, defeating Southern Wesleyan University and Converse College while losing to Belmont Abbey and Limestone College.
LMC has been led by senior guard Kabrina Truesdale. In addition to averaging 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, the North Carolina Central University transfer ranks among the top 15 nationally in assists (5.7) and steals (3.4).
Another senior, forward Kerri Belcher, leads the team in rebounds at 7.6 per contest, and is fifth in the league in steals at 2.8 per game. LMC is receiving 11.2 points per game from sophomore guard Niroska Perez and 10 points per contest from freshman forward Alex Anderson.
As a team, the Bobcats are averaging just 59.4 points per game while giving up 72.3, leading to one of the bottom 20 scoring margins in the country. Lees-McRae also ranks last in the league in rebounding (38.0). However, LMC is fourth in the conference in 3-point accuracy (31.5 percent).
The Bobcats and Lady Bulldogs split their two matchups last season, each winning on their home court. Belcher had eight points and 11 rebounds in Lees-McRae's 84-72 win in Banner Elk, N.C., and 11 points and seven boards in a 66-63 loss in Wilson.
King University Women's Basketball
The Tornado will enter the weekend 6-4 overall and 1-3 in league play, and will host University of Mount Olive on Saturday before playing Barton on Sunday.
King won its final two games before the break in impressive fashion, a 20-point victory at Lincoln Memorial University and a 16-point home win over UVa-Wise.
In league play, King's lone win this year has come against Converse. The Tornado lost to North Greenville University, Pfeiffer University and Limestone.
King features one of the country's stingiest defenses. The Tornado ranks eighth nationally in scoring defense (54.8 ppg), ninth in 3-point percentage defense (.242) and 13th in overall field goal percentage defense (.342). KU also leads NCAA Division II in fewest fouls, committing just 12.8 per game.
The offense for King has been inconsistent, however. The Tornado is averaging 60.4 points per game, ninth in the conference and is shooting just 38 percent from the field for the year.
King does not have a double-figure scorer, but four players all average between 8.5 and 9.9 points per game. Senior forward Bonnie Durrett leads the squad in both scoring (9.9) and rebounding (8.1), with senior guard Tia Keitt closely behind at 9.8 points per contest.
The game will feature the top two free throw shooting teams in the league. King leads the way at 73.4 percent, followed by Barton at 70.5.
The two programs split their two meetings last year, each winning on the road. Barton took an 84-76 victory in Bristol, Tenn., while the Tornado claimed a 76-66 win in Wilson. Durrett had 18 points and seven rebounds in the victory.
