Box Score by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – North Greenville University junior Miguel Cartagena drilled a contested jumper from just to the right of the free throw line with five seconds left to provide the game-winning shot in a 77-75 victory over host Barton College on Saturday in Wilson Gymnasium.
Barton point guard Danny Shand raced to the other end to try and get off a shot, but lost control of the ball under heavy pressure just before the final horn sounded on a disappointing defeat for the Bulldogs.
Shand, who had a team-high 16 points for BC, had capped a furious rally for Barton from seven points down with a pair of game-tying free throws with 21 seconds remaining. However, the Crusaders held the ball to set up the isolation play for Cartagena.
The loss, coupled with a King University win on Saturday, knocked Barton (14-6, 9-3) out of first place in Conference Carolinas and into second a half-game behind the Tornado. North Greenville improved to 7-11 overall and 4-7 in league play.
Barton held a 38-33 halftime lead, but shot just 34 percent in the final half (11 of 32) while allowing 44 percent to NGU (16 of 36). BC's 37.7 shooting percentage for the entire game (26 of 69) was its worst performance since November.
The Bulldogs lost for the first time this season when committing less than 10 turnovers (eight), and fell at home for just the second time in 10 games this year.
Senior Dominique Byrd posted his fourth double-double of the year in the loss, scoring 14 points and collecting 11 rebounds. Freshman Matt Woods added 13 points and senior Jake Veasley chipped in 12 points.
North Greenville was paced by senior Korval McElroy, who had game highs of 24 points and four assists in addition to nine rebounds. The game-winning basket for Cartagena gave him 16 points for the contest. Justin Dotson was 6-of-7 from the line while tossing in 15 points.
The two sides battled through five lead changes and seven ties before the Crusaders pulled away to a five-point cushion on a 3-pointer by Cartagena with 6:31 to go in the first half. NGU still led by that margin when Barton used layups by Byrd and Zach Grant, followed by a 3-pointer from Veasley, to regain the lead 30-28 with 3:39 left in the half.
North Greenville moved back in front with 1:25 left on a free throw by McElroy, but 3-pointers by Dorian Johnson and Woods sent the Bulldogs to intermission with a 38-33 advantage.
Barton still held that five-point margin at 40-35 after a Shand layup a minute into the second half, but the Bulldogs missed their next seven shots, allowing the Crusaders to go on an 11-0 run and claim their biggest lead of the night to that point at 46-40 on a jumper by Cartagena with 15:32 left.
A layup by Byrd and a 3-pointer by Woods closed the gap to one with 14:18 remaining, and Barton briefly regained the lead at 53-51 on a jumper by Veasley with 11:19 to go.
Trailing 57-56 with 9:21 to play, the Crusaders received five points from Dotson during a 7-0 run to move back up by six once more with 7:53 left. However, a 3-pointer by Daniel Westbrook and two free throws by Byrd helped BC close within one.
Barton still trailed by one with 4:32 to play when North Greenville used layups by Tommy Wade and McElroy, followed by a jumper from Cartagena, to post its largest lead of the evening at 73-66 with 1:22 remaining.
Byrd made a free throw with 1:02 left and missed the second attempt, but an offensive rebound by Woods led to a 3-pointer by Westbrook that cut the BC deficit to 73-70 with 55 seconds left.
The Bulldogs were called for a backcourt foul on the ensuing possession, and Dotson made both attempts to give NGU a five-point cushion. Shand quickly drove to the other end for a layup that turned into a three-point play after a foul.
Now trailing by just two with 45 seconds left, Barton looked to its defense for a stop, and Veasley answered by drawing a charge call on McElroy that resulted in a bloody nose for the Barton defender.
Shand quickly drove the court once more, earning a trip to the foul line with 21 seconds to go. The Baltimore resident made both attempts, tying the game, but Cartagena delivered the game-winning dagger on the next NGU possession.
The win for the Crusaders avenged a 79-71 loss to the Bulldogs earlier this year in Tigerville, S.C., and earned a season split.
The Bulldogs will complete a three-game homestand with a visit from rival University of Mount Olive on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
