Box Score BELMONT, N.C. – The Barton men's basketball team (5-8, 3-3) fell to Belmont Abbey (9-3, 5-0) by a 94-84 score in a Conference Carolinas game Friday afternoon at the Wheeler Center.
Belmont Abbey's DeQuan Abrom (Washington, D.C.), the reigning league player of the year, led all scorers with 36 points on 15-of-19 shooting as the Crusaders remained in first place in the conference standings. Romeao Ferguson (Burlington, N.C.) and Ryan Shaffer (Cary, N.C.) added 19 points each for the Crusaders, who shot 60 percent (37-of-62) for the contest.
Barton, which was playing its first Conference Carolinas road game of the year, was led by junior forward Isaiah Reddish (Durham, N.C.) with 20 points in the losing effort. Barton junior forward Matt Elmore (Jacksonville, N.C.) added 14 points and four three-pointers off the bench and the Bulldogs hit 12 treys despite the loss.
Belmont Abbey held a 75-73 advantage with just over seven minutes left before taking control with six straight points capped off by a lay-up from Shaffer and never let its lead get under five points the rest of the way. Shaffer also finished with five three-pointers on the evening.
Barton and Belmont Abbey will turn around and play again on Thursday, January 2, at 7:30 p.m., in a league contest at Wilson Gymnasium in Wilson, N.C.
