BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University men's basketball team withstood a second half rally from Barton Tuesday afternoon, winning 90-87 over the Bulldogs.
Jordan Akal had 20 points for King, while
Mikhail Pocknett posted his third straight double-double.
THE BASICS
FINAL: King 90, Barton 87
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 5-7, 3-2 Conference Carolinas; Barton 6-6, 2-3 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- King was in control from the start, scoring the first eight points, forcing a Barton timeout three minutes into the game.
- The Tornado continued to control, going on a 20-5 scoring run over the next seven minutes, taking a 30-12 lead with 10:18 remaining.
- Barton was able to pull to within 33-24, but Jaylen Royster hit a three, which started a 15-7 King run that saw the lead reach 48-31 with just under two minutes left.
- Xavier Betancourt and Akal both hit buckets in the final minute, with King taking a 52-32 lead into the locker room.
Second Half
- After the intermission, the Bulldogs were able to rally, pulling to within 69-51 at the 12:57 mark.
- Barton then hit a pair of threes and a jumper, before hitting four straight free throws to trim the King advantage to 66-51 with 13:20 left.
- The Bulldogs were able to pull to within 72-70 with 8:38 left to play, eventually getting to within 78-77 with just over four minutes left.
- Jaylen Roster hit a three with 1:09 left, stretching the lead to 88-81, though Barton scored the next six points to make it an 88-87 game with 22 seconds left.
- Betancourt was able to hit a layup with 13 seconds left, with a final Barton shot falling short as the Tornado held on for a narrow 90-87 win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Akal led the Tornado offense, scoring 20 points and pulling a pair of rebounds.
- Pocknett posted his third double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
- Other Tornado who scored in double figures include Betancourt (17) and Roster (13).
FOR THE FOES
- Shawn Nelson led all scorers with 30, along with pulling five rebounds.
- Jaylen Faber had 14 points while Trey Crews added 10.
UP NEXT
- The Tornado will be back on the court Jan. 8 when they face Bluefield State in a road game.
