FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The Barton men's basketball team (14-16) saw its season come to a close with an 81-77 overtime loss to Emmanuel (17-12) Monday evening in the Second Round of the 2026 Conference Carolinas Championship at the Shaw Athletic Center.
The Lions, the sixth seed in the league tournament, take on third-seeded Ferrum (15-10) in the quarterfinal round on Friday at 1:30 p.m., at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C. Barton was seeded seventh.
Emmanuel, who beat Barton for the second time in less than two weeks, was led by Devin Story (Augusta, Ga.) with a game-high 28 points and was one of five players to reach double figures for the home team.
With the score tied at 77-all, the Lions finished off the game with four straight points including the game-winning tip-in by Ezra McKee (Clearwater, Fla.). McKee finished with 12 points while Isaac Jones (Marietta, Ga.) tallied a double-double – 13 points and 10 rebounds – in the victory.
Barton junior guard
Jaylen Faber (Columbia, S.C.) led the visitors with 18 points and his four-point play late in the game helped force overtime tied at 71-all.
Faber finished with five three-pointers while the Bulldogs also saw five players reach double figures in scoring including a 13-point effort from senior guard
Caleb Reams (Rocky Mount, N.C.). The Bulldogs, however, hit just six-of-25 (24 percent) attempts from behind the three-point line.
