Box Score by Benny Benton
BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Barton College women's basketball team's winning streak was snapped at 11 games on Friday night, as the Lady Bulldogs dropped a 68-60 Conference Carolinas decision at King University.
Barton could not stop the inside play of King's 6-4 center, Kori West. The sophomore transfer from East Carolina University recorded 28 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, both career highs, in leading the Tornado (10-9, 7-5).
The Lady Bulldogs (14-6, 9-3) did erase an eight-point first-half deficit to briefly grab a three-point lead as the third quarter ended, 43-40, but Barton went 2-for-8 over the game's final three minutes as a four-point deficit ballooned to as many as 11 with 36 seconds to play.
Junior Dinah Neal paced BC with 16 points. Kianna Wynn added 13 points and eight rebounds, Tatyana Jackson chipped in 10 points, and Karimah Dean contributed nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Barton's leading scorer, Alex Kimble, was limited to just six points, ending a streak of 15 straight games in double-figures for the redshirt senior.
In addition to the huge night from West, King received 14 points and five assists from Ali Golden and 10 points from Kristen Cupples.
King set the tone for the evening by scoring a 3-pointer off the opening tip just three seconds into the contest, and the Tornado raced out to a quick 7-2 cushion. King made 7 of its first 10 shots (70 percent), and finished the first quarter at 56 percent (9 of 16) from the floor in claiming a 20-14 advantage.
Trailing by eight at 26-18 with 3:47 left before intermission, the Lady Bulldogs used jumpers by Dean, Kimble and Jackson to make up a 6-0 run that cut the margin to just two right before the end of the half. Barton tied the game on three occasions early in the third quarter, then took its first lead of the game at 41-38 following a three-point play by Wynn with 1:56 left in the period.
The two teams traded buckets to leave Barton in front, 43-40, at the end of the third quarter, but a 3-pointer by Cupples to begin the final period started a 7-0 run for King. After the Tornado pushed its lead to five at 49-44 with 8:19 left, the Lady Bulldogs trimmed the deficit back to one on two occasions, the last one at 51-50 following a free throw by Jackson with 4:49 remaining.
However, King went on an 8-2 run, with all its points scored by West. A 3-pointer by Jackson trimmed the margin back to four at 59-55 with 2:31 remaining, but Barton missed its next three shots and the Tornado pulled away to a double-digit lead and the victory.
Barton won the turnover battle, 13 to 18, and trailed in rebounding by just two, 41 to 39. However, the Lady Bulldogs shot just 36 percent from the field for the game (25 of 70), including just 2 of 17 from 3-point range (12 percent). King was 26 of 55 from the floor (47 percent) and 5 of 16 from long-range (31 percent).
The Lady Bulldogs, which average 21 free throw attempts per game, were unable to get to the line in the contest, shooting just 12 and making eight. King was 11 of 16 from the charity stripe.
Barton has a quick turnaround to its next game. The Lady Bulldogs will play at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C., Saturday at 2 p.m.
