Box Score by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – A steal and layup by freshman Michael Boykin off an R.J. Claypool assist with 17 seconds to play provided the game-winning basket in Barton College's 83-82 non-conference victory over visiting UNC Pembroke Saturday afternoon at Wilson Gymnasium.
UNC Pembroke's Alex Bradley missed a potential go-ahead jumper with four seconds to play and Barton's Miguel Brown came down with the rebound. Brown missed both free throw attempts with 1.8 seconds remaining – two of the few misses all night at the line for the Bulldogs – but UNCP's James Murray-Boyles could only get off a desperation 3-pointer from beyond half court at the buzzer.
The win was the fourth in a row and sixth in the last seven games for Barton (5-3), while the loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Braves (5-2), who came into the contest ranked No. 6 in this week's D2SIDA Southeast Region Poll.
Claypool produced 18 points, six assists and five rebounds in the win for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Matt Woods scored 14 points, while Boykin and fellow freshman Isaiah Buck-Lowman each added 12. Senior Nick Ellison contributed a team-high six rebounds.
The late score by Boykin provided the game's 15th and final lead change in a contest that was close throughout the second half after UNC Pembroke had briefly pulled away to an 11-point first-half advantage.
The Braves led 31-28 with just over four minutes left in the opening period when Andrew Evans went on a personal 8-0 run, draining a pair of 3-pointers with a breakaway dunk in-between to give UNCP its biggest lead of the night at 39-28.
UNC Pembroke led by eight at intermission, and held a nine-point cushion at 54-45 with just under 16 minutes remaining when Barton began climbing back into the contest.
A 3-pointer by Woods, a free throw by Jeff Gordon and a jumper by Ellison trimmed the Barton deficit down to three at 54-51. Micah Kinsey interrupted the BC rally with a layup, but a pair of free throws by Dante Artis and a fast-break layup by Woods off an Artis assist pulled the Bulldogs within one, 56-55, with 12:52 to play.
Barton regained the lead at 59-58 on a jumper by Boykin with 10:57 remaining, and the teams battled through nine lead changes over the rest of the game, with neither side holding more than a four-point cushion.
The Braves took their final lead of the night at 78-76 on a 3-pointer by Murray-Boyles, and extended their margin to four at 80-76 on a layup by Akia Priutt.
However, Woods was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer on Barton's next possession, and he drained all three to cut the UNCP lead back to one. Kinsey made a layup for the Braves with 58 seconds left, but Boykin answered with two free throws eight seconds later before coming up with his steal and go-ahead basket.
While UNC Pembroke was great from the free throw line, making 16 of 20 (80 percent), the Bulldogs were even better. Barton made its first 17 in a row before its first miss nearly four minutes into the second half, and finished the game an impressive 30 of 36 from the charity stripe (83 percent).
The great free throw effort by BC helped offset a poor night from beyond the arc, where the Bulldogs were just 3 of 14 (21 percent).
UNCP was only slightly better from long range, making 8 of 27 (30 percent) and shot just 41 percent overall (29 of 70) compared to 48 percent for Barton. However, the bigger Braves enjoyed a 42-31 advantage in rebounds, including a 19-7 edge on the offensive glass, leading to a 22-8 margin in second-chance points.
Nigel Grant scored a game-high 20 points for UNC Pembroke and added eight rebounds. Evans tossed in 15 points in a losing cause, and Pruitt pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
The game was Barton's final home match of the calendar year. The Bulldogs will travel to Elizabeth City State University on December 19, and will have a return matchup against the Braves in Pembroke, N.C., on New Year's Eve.
