BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Barton men's basketball team (6-6, 2-3) nearly erased a 20-point deficit but came up just short to King (5-7, 3-2), 90-87, Tuesday afternoon in a Conference Carolinas contest at the Student Center Complex.
The Tornado's Jordan Akal (Harlan, Ky.) scored a team-high 20 points while Xavier Betancourt (Tampa, Fla.) added 17 points off the bench as the home team built a 20-point lead – 63-43 with just over 16 minutes remaining – and held off a furious rally by the Bulldogs at the end to secure the victory.
Barton senior guard
Shawn Nelson (Miami, Fla.), the reigning league player of the week, led all scorers with 30 points and the Bulldogs cut the lead to one on two occasions – 76-75 and 78-77 – but couldn't tie or take the lead the rest of the way.
Barton missed a three-pointer with time running out as the ball rimmed out when the clock hit zero. Freshman guard
Jaylen Faber (Columbia, S.C.) added a season-high 14 points off the bench in the losing effort for the Bulldogs.
The Tornado held a 45-33 edge in rebounding while Mikhail Pocknett (Wilmington, N.C.) added a double-double – 16 points and 11 rebounds – in addition to five assists and three steals as King won its second straight contest.
Barton next hosts Belmont Abbey in a league contest on Saturday, January 4, at 4:00 p.m., at Wilson Gymnasium while King faces Bluefield State on Wednesday, January 8, at 7:30 p.m., Bluefield, W.Va.
