Box Score by Benny Benton
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Struggles on offense returned for the Barton College women's basketball team Saturday afternoon, as the Lady Bulldogs shot just 35 percent from the field in dropping a 62-54 Conference Carolinas decision to host Emmanuel College.
Barton (9-12, 8-6) had shown remarkable improvement in that area since mid-season, but made just 21 of 60 from the field, including 2 of 12 from 3-point range, against the Lions (14-5, 10-5).
The Lady Bulldogs are now 1-10 on the year when shooting below 40 percent in a game and 8-2 when exceeding that plateau.
In addition to shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor (24 of 49), Emmanuel out-rebounded Barton by a whopping 48 to 27 margin. The Lady Bulldogs were able to stay in the game by forcing more than twice as many turnovers (15 to 7) and out-scoring the Lions 16 to 3 in points off turnovers.
Barton received a career-high 18 points from sophomore Tiffany Webster, collected on 6-of-20 shooting from the field and 6-of-10 accuracy from the line. Senior Brianna Thomas added 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Emmanuel saw five players score between 9 and 12 points, led by the dozen from Timia Reynolds. Skye Rogers grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to go with her nine points.
Barton jumped out to a quick 9-3 lead in the contest, as sophomore Shatisha Dukes scored a pair of baskets, Chanel Shannon drained a 3-pointer and Webster added a layup.
However, the Lions scored on consecutive 3-pointers by Mariah Davis and Ashley Skelton to quickly tie the game, and used a layup and a tip-in by Rogers to complete a 10-0 run that put EC up 13-9.
Leading by two, 14-12, Emmanuel went on another spurt of seven points to take a 22-13 advantage. Barton missed three shots and turned the ball over once during the Lions' run.
Emmanuel's lead reached double-digits at 30-20 on a layup by Avery Scarborough with 2:47 left in the half, but Barton forced three turnovers and held the Lions scoreless for the rest of the period. Webster scored seven of the last eight points of the half, and the Lady Bulldogs went to the locker at intermission trailing by just two at 30-28.
Trailing by four points with four minutes gone in the second half, Barton used consecutive layups by Kaila Lea to tie the game and a layup by Webster to regain the lead, its first since the game was 9-6 early in the first half.
Webster also scored the game's next four points, completing a 10-0 run for the Lady Bulldogs that put them up by six, 40-34, with 12:51 to play.
However, Barton went ice cold from there, missing its next seven shots over the next three and a half minutes, opening the door for Emmanuel to go on a 12-0 run and move in front 46-40. A jumper by Thomas and a layup by Dukes cut the BC deficit down to two with 6:51 left, but Elise Coberly sank a 3-pointer to put the Lions up five, and Barton got no closer than that the rest of the way.
Barton will return to action on Wednesday night when it visits the University of Mount Olive for a 5:30 p.m. matchup.
