BELMONT, N.C. – The Barton women's basketball team (12-2) could not hold a 13-point halftime advantage and eventually fell to Belmont Abbey (22-2), 68-62, in overtime in the finals of the 2021 Conference Carolinas Championship Sunday afternoon at the Wheeler Center.
The Crusaders, ranked No. 21 in NCAA Division II, won their 18th consecutive game and were led by Maria Kuhlman (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) with 23 points. Kuhlman also hit six-of-seven three-point attempts including two key treys late in the second half to force the extra frame.
Barton scored the first five points of the overtime to take a 62-57 advantage before the Crusaders took control by scoring the final 11 points including Kulhman's game-winning three-pointer with 31 seconds left. Belmont Abbey hit all seven of its three-pointers after halftime in the victory as well.
Barton, which saw its 10-game winning streak snapped, was led by senior center
Shanika Peterkin (Virginia Beach, Va.), the league player of the year and an All-American, with 19 points while senior guard
Michelle Gainey (Fayetteville, N.C.) added 10 points in the losing effort. The Bulldogs' two losses this year both came against the Crusaders on the road.
Belmont Abbey and Barton are ranked first and second, respectively, in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional rankings and, while the Crusaders earned an automatic berth to the playoffs, the Bulldogs are likely to earn a berth to the regional tournament for the third time in four years. The bids will be announced tonight at 10:00 p.m., on NCAA.com.
2021 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball
Championship All-Tournament Team
Ali Golden, King
Azariah Fields, Mount Olive
Jami Tham-Morrobel, Barton
Shanika Peterkin, Barton
Irelynn Davidson, Belmont Abbey
Maria Kuhlman, Belmont Abbey
MVP: Brittany Autry, Belmont Abbey
