WILSON, N.C. – The Barton men's basketball team (15-10, 13-5) rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to stun Francis Marion (13-11, 10-8), 93-92, Wednesday evening in a Conference Carolinas game at Wilson Gymnasium on Senior Night for the Bulldogs.
Barton sophomore guard
Marcus Boykin (Clinton, N.C.) led all scorers with 33 points and hit the game-winning, three-point play with nine seconds left as the Bulldogs were able to overcome an 83-70 deficit with just over six minutes left to take the victory.
Junior guard
Donaven Hairston (Atlanta, Ga.) added 14 points and junior guard
Reese McDonald (Raleigh, N.C.) tallied a double-double – 12 points and 15 assists – as the Bulldogs remained in a third-place tie in the league standings with Belmont Abbey.
Francis Marion fell despite 13 three-pointers on the night including five from Bryce Beamer (Odessa, Fla.), who finished with 17 points in the losing effort. The Patriots' Alex Cox (Concord, N.C.) scored a team-high 26 points and added four treys but it wasn't enough as Francis Marion suffered its fourth straight loss.
Barton shot 54 percent (38-of-70) from the field including 63 percent (20-of-32) in the second half as the Bulldogs closed the regular season with an 11-2 record at home.
In the next round of Conference Carolinas games on Saturday afternoon beginning at 4:00 p.m., Barton travels to Central, S.C., to take on Southern Wesleyan while Francis Marion hosts North Greenville.
