Box Score by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – For the second straight day, the Barton College men's basketball team let a halftime lead evaporate in a loss at its own 45-Second Classic, this time to nationally-ranked Augusta University, 85-76.
Behind eight first-half points from senior R.J. Claypool and six from freshman Jeff Gordon, Barton (0-2) took a 32-27 lead into intermission. The Bulldogs held Augusta (2-0) to 38 percent shooting in the first half and limited the Jaguars' senior All-American guard, Keshun Sherrill to six first-half points.
Sherrill responded by pouring in 11 points in the first five minutes of the second half, the last of those a 3-pointer that put the Jaguars into the lead for the first time since the 8:52 mark of the first period.
Barton thought it caught a break when Sherrill was tagged with his fourth foul with 13:39 still remaining and went to the bench, but the Jaguars actually made their decisive run in the contest right after he sat down.
Holding a slim 48-47 lead, Augusta used a 3-pointer from Ja'Shawn Brooks and consecutive baskets on fast breaks following steals to produce an 8-0 run and take a 56-47 advantage.
Trailing by seven with 10:01 to go, the Bulldogs used 3-pointers by Matt Woods and Claypool to comprise a 6-1 run and close within two at 59-57 with 8:50 left. However, Brooks drained a 3-pointer, Barton missed a layup on its next possession, and Tamyrik Fields scored on a putback to give the Jaguars a seven-point cushion again, 64-57.
Barton pulled as close as five at 72-67 on a 3-pointer by Isaiah Buck-Lowman with 3:14 left, but Fields scored on a layup, Tyvez Monroe collected a steal and Sherrill followed with a 3-pointer to effectively put the game away with just over two minutes to go.
Sherrill scored 18 second-half points and finished the contest with a game-high 24. Fields added 14 for Augusta, which is ranked No. 18 in the preseason DII Media Poll, sponsored by D2SIDA.
The Jaguars shot a torrid 66 percent overall in the second half (18 of 27) and sank 5-of-11 from 3-point range in the period after making just 1-of-12 in the first period.
Barton stayed close by making 13-of-17 shots from the foul line in the second half and 20-of-26 overall from the charity stripe (77 percent) in the game. However, the Bulldogs made just one more free throw total than the Jaguars, who were 19-of-27 (70 percent).
The Bulldogs were paced by junior Matt Woods, who posted career-highs with 19 points and five steals. Claypool finished with 15 points, and Gordon ended the night with 10. Claypool also led the Bulldogs with eight rebounds and four assists.
The contest was the second of the day in the 45-Second Classic. In the day's first game, Young Harris College downed University of Mount Olive, 94-78.
Barton will return to action next weekend when it competes in the 51st Annual Pickle Classic at Mount Olive. BC will face Saint Augustine's University on Friday at 5 p.m.
