Box Score by Benny Benton
TIGERVILLE, S.C. – The Barton College men's basketball team had hopes of a rebirth in the Conference Carolinas Tournament, but instead produced more of the same in its quarterfinal matchup at North Greenville University Saturday afternoon.
The sixth-seeded Bulldogs let a one-possession deficit slide into a double-digit disadvantage midway through the second half and never recovered in falling to the third-seeded Crusaders, 77-64, Saturday afternoon.
With its ninth loss in the last 10 games, Barton's first losing season in 14 years came to an end at 13-16. The victory advanced North Greenville (20-9) to the semifinal round against No. 2 seed King University.
The Crusaders out-rebounded the Bulldogs by 11 (41-30), leading to a 12-2 advantage in second-chance points. North Greenville made 22 of 29 attempts from the free throw line (76 percent), while Barton made just 12 of 19 (63 percent).
Barton held the Crusaders under 50 percent shooting from the field for the first time in three meetings this year, but the Bulldogs made just 38 percent themselves.
Freshman Danny Shand had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists for Barton. Junior Jake Veasley added 11 points and sophomore Kendall Patterson chipped in nine. Senior Khari Faison pulled down seven rebounds in his final game in the Royal Blue and White.
North Greenville freshman Spencer Reaves poured in a game-high 25 points and added six rebounds. Micah Parker added 19 points and six boards, and Lashawn Alexander contributed 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Bulldogs led briefly by four points on two occasions in the first half behind the play of Veasley, who scored nine of his 11 points in the first half. The latter of those leads came with 10:01 left in the period following a jumper by Faison, but a 3-pointer by Reaves, two free throws by Parker and a dunk by Alexander made up a 7-0 NGU run that put the Crusaders up three.
Barton tied the game for the seventh and final time at 26-all on a jumper by Daniel Westbrook, but North Greenville led the rest of the half in taking a 34-29 cushion to the locker.
The Bulldogs cut the deficit to two on Veasley's only basket of the second half just 33 seconds into the period, but the Crusaders used baskets by Alexander, Reaves and Korval McElroy to go on a 6-0 spurt and take an eight-point lead – the biggest of the game for either side at that point – with 17:49 left.
Barton climbed back within three, went down eight, and moved back within three once more after a 3-pointer by Shand and layup by Patterson with 11:55 remaining.
However, the Bulldogs missed their next five shots from the field and turned the ball over three times. North Greenville took full advantage, making its next four attempts from the floor in increasing its lead to double-digits for the first time at 55-45 with 8:51 to play.
Two Patterson free throws pulled the Bulldogs back within eight, but Reaves responded with a 3-pointer and North Greenville led by double-digits the rest of the way.
The loss was Barton's first in the quarterfinal round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament since a 93-73 setback to Anderson University five years ago, also as a No. 6 seed.
