WILSON, N.C. – The King University women's basketball team played Barton College tough on Saturday in a Conference Carolinas Road contest. The Tornado held the lead at halftime and going to the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs fought back and defeated the Tornado 63-61 on a pair of late free throws.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Barton 63, King 61
LOCATION: Wilson Gymnasium; Wilson, N.C.
RECORDS: King 1-16, 0-7 Conference Carolinas; Barton 5-12, 4-4 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- Jhayda McKinney gave King an early lead with a triple before an Ashley Allen basket four minutes in put the Tornado head 5-0.
- However, the Bulldogs followed with a 9-0 run before the first of two Jaden Potts triples in the first half.
- A Potts layup gave King a 12-11 lead before the Bulldogs scored the final four points of the period to take a 15-12 lead.
Second Period
- Barton scored the first points of the quarter, but King responded with a run as an Allen basket and Potts triple evened the score at 17.
- Allen added a layup before a Le'Aije Ellington triple gave King a 22-17 lead with the 10-0 spurt.
- Following a Bulldog basket, Ellington connected from long range again to cap 13-2 run and give King a 25-19 lead midway through the period.
- King extended their lead to 29-21 on another Ellington basket before the Bulldogs closed the quarter on a 6-2 run.
- An Alayna Smith basket with one minute remaining in the quarter gave King a 31-27 lead at the break.
- The Tornado shot 44.8 percent from the floor in the half, including 50.0 percent in the second quarter.
Third Period
- Barton pulled within 33-30 in the early going, but and Allen layup and Brianna Dunbar triple extended the Tornado lead back to eight points.
- Another Dunbar trifecta gave kin ga 41-32 lead three minutes into the quarter.
- King led by nine on two more occasions in the quarter, the final one at 45-36 following a Smith layup with four minutes remaining in the quarter.
- Barton chipped away and pulled within four before a Smith free throw in the waning seconds gave King a 48-43 lead going to the fourth quarter.
Fourth Period
- The Barton run continued as the Bulldogs evened the score at 48 with the 10-1 before a pair of Smith free throws.
- Barton then evened the score again at 50 before Dunbar connected from three to give the lead back to King.
- However, the Bulldogs made back-to-back triples to take a 56-53 lead four minutes into the quarter. That was Barton's first lead since early in the second quarter.
- King regained a 58-56 lead following a McKinney basket and Dunbar triple with three minutes remaining.
- However, Barton responded with a triple on the next possession to regain the advantage.
- Two Alexa Gramann free throws gave King a 60-59 lead with 2:32 remaining before a Barton jump shot gave the Bulldogs a 61-60 lead one minute later.
- Allen evened the score at 61 with a free throw with 36 remaining.
- Erial Owens gathered an offensive rebound and was fouled with four seconds remaining.
- She made both free throws, and King missed a shot on the other end as time expired, giving Barton the 63-61 victory.
- The Tornado shot 21.4 percent from the floor in the quarter while Barton shot 53.3 percent from the field in the final 10 minutes.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Dunbar led the Tornado with 14 points and five assists. She went 4-for-6 from long range in the contest.
- Ellington followed with 12 points while Allen posted 11 points and 14 rebounds.
FOR THE FOES
- Lauren Walked led Barton with 29 points while Owens added 20 points and six rebounds.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Dunbar matched her season-high of 14 points, the other coming on December 13 against UNC Pembroke.
- The double-double for Allen is her second of the season as she posted her sixth game with at least 10 rebounds.
UP NEXT
- King stays on the road to take on Southern Wesleyan University on Monday night. Tipoff from Central, S.C. is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
- Barton hosts the University of Mount Olive on Wednesday night.
