CHARLOTTE, N.C- The Royals used a 11 point advantage from the first half to hand the Barton College Bulldogs their first Conference Carolinas loss of the season.
Queens (3-5 overall/2-1 CC) defeated Barton 67-61 in the first contest of 2009 with the help of forward Marissa Hudley (Charlotte, N.C., Harding University ) 27 points.
Barton (6-2 overall/3-1 CC) found themselves trailing 13-2 after just five minutes of play. The Royals continued to pound away at the visitors, opening up a 17 point lead in the next 10 minutes. Barton was able to shave six points off the margin by the end of the half to close out at 39-28.
Turnovers played a large part in the first 20 minutes as each team was in double figures allowing the opponent to convert for double digit points, 10, Barton, and 15 for Queens.
It looked as if the momentum was changing in the second half. Barton came out of the locker room and tied the game at 42, just the second tie of the game, at the 14:53 mark.
The contest stayed within three for the next few minutes until a bucket from Cecilia Tchangoue (St. Jean Le Blanc, France, Forsyth Country Day) helped Queens recapture the lead. The Royals were able to stay one basket ahead of Barton and slowly built the lead out to nine with 32 ticks left on the clock.
Queens was able to finish out the game and come away with a win, snapping a two-game slide, by a score of 67-61.
Hudley led the Royals with 27 points. So far this season she has been the points leader in seven of the eight games and was tied for the lead in the first game. Erin Goldner (Matthews, N.C., Piedmont) scored nine, while Tchangoue and Allison Williams (Rougemont, N.C., Northern Durham) each had eight.
Around the board Jacquia Winstead (Elm City, N.C., Beddingfield) contributed the team high nine boards. As a team Queens recorded 26 rebounds, eight offensive and 28 defensive.
For Barton Esty Flores led the way with 27 points and Destiny Hamlin was also in double figures with 11. Sharnita Alston pulled down 12 of the Bulldogs' 41 rebounds.
Queens will travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to play Converse on Jan. 8 and hosts Limestone on Jan. 10 to close out the week. Barton hosts Pfeiffer on Jan. 8 and travels to Lees-McRae on the 10th.
