Box Score by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – Barton College freshman Michael Boykin made the second of two free-throw attempts with 33 seconds to play to give the Bulldogs a one-point lead, and BC held nationally-ranked Limestone College off the board from there to claim a 67-66 Conference Carolinas victory Thursday night in Wilson Gymnasium.
The league's leading scorer, Shaun Stewart, got an open look from the top of the free-throw line with 10 seconds to play for the Saints (15-3, 9-1) and Limestone retained possession out-of-bounds with five seconds left, but Macoumba Kane fired up a wild 3-pointer from the left sideline that went off the shot clock and was rebounded by Barton.
Isaiah Buck-Lowman, who led the Bulldogs in scoring with 22 points on the night, missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity after getting fouled on the rebound with two seconds left, but Limestone's Shaq Dance could only get off a heave from beyond half court at the buzzer that was short, sealing the victory for the Bulldogs (12-4, 7-1).
The win was the fifth in a row and 10th in the last 11 contests for Barton, which pulled even in the loss column with the Saints atop the league standings. The loss ended a six-game win streak for Limestone, which is ranked No. 24 in this week's CoSIDA DII Media Poll Sponsored by D2SIDA.
"I was just so proud of how hard our guys worked tonight," Barton coach Ron Lievense said. "Our guys just worked their absolute heart out, and they beat a tremendous basketball team that is very, very talented, an experienced veteran team. Our guys did an amazing job."
Barton led by as many as 18 points in the first half after holding the Saints to just 27 percent shooting in the period. Limestone made its first 3-pointer of the game, but then missed its remaining 14 in the half and trailed 37-25 at intermission.
Stewart, who came into the contest averaging 20.9 points per game, and Dance, who was adding 18.7 points per outing, managed just eight and four points, respectively, in the period.
"This win was all about our defense tonight," Lievense said. "These guys were flying around, playing with great energy and enthusiasm. Our second half – we've got to do a better job of not letting teams back into games – but I'm just so proud of how hard these guys played.
For the second straight game, the Bulldogs saw a lead of 18 points of more slip away. Stewart began to find his shooting rhythm and Dance began driving to the basket with consistency. Limestone's role players chipped in four second-half 3-pointers, and suddenly the Saints were back in it.
Limestone, which had trailed the entire game since the score was 5-5, managed to fight all the way back to a tie game at 66-all on a layup by Dance with 1:35 remaining.
Both teams missed shots on their next possession before Boykin was fouled driving to the basket with 33 seconds left. The freshman from Clinton, N.C., entered the game averaging better than 75 percent from the line for the season, but was just 1-for-5 on the night after missing the first attempt.
However, Boykin swished the second one, providing what would turn out to be the game-winning point.
Boykin produced 10 points on the night, joining Buck-Lowman and R.J. Claypool (11 points) as double-figure scorers for the Bulldogs. Daniel Westbrook claimed a game-high eight rebounds for BC and Miguel Brown collected seven.
Stewart finished the night with 18 points and Dance managed 14, the only two players in double-figures for the Saints. Dance also contributed a team-high seven rebounds and Stewart dished out five assists.
Barton entered the game ranked 10th nationally in free-throw percentage, but it was Limestone who was perfect at the stripe, making all 15 attempts, while the Bulldogs made just 4-of-9 shots. However, the Saints shot just 38 percent overall, including 19 percent from 3-point range, and Barton shot 50 percent from the field overall.
The Bulldogs don't have long to enjoy their victory. Barton has just one day to prepare for its next opponent, Belmont Abbey College, which will visit Wilson Gymnasium on Saturday at 4 p.m. The contest will be the last in a season-high six-game homestand for BC.
