WILSON, N.C. – Marissa Hudley's (Charlotte, N.C., Harding University ) 20 points and 12 rebounds weren't enough to help the Royals defeat first place Barton College (8-0 12-2) in this evening's Conference Carolinas game. Queens University of Charlotte (4-3 5-8) lost to the Bulldogs 104-72, and the Royals now sit in fifth place in the league.
Hudley's double-double tonight moved her into second place on the Queens All-Time Women's Basketball Top Scorers List. She now has 1,553 points and is 90 away from taking over the number one spot.
Dyonna Battle (Rocky Mount, N.C., Rocky Mount) was one rebound shy of a double-double as well scoring 10 points and grabbing nine boards. Shonice Pettaway (Walstonburg, N.C., Greene Central) scored 18 points and collected eight rebounds.
The Royals found themselves in a hole after a first half of play plagued by poor shooting and turnovers. After scoring 35 points in the paint, the Bulldogs were up by 29, 51-22 at the break.
Queens played a much better second half of basketball putting 50 more points on the board before the final horn. Pettaway got hot for a stretch around the 17 minute mark scoring four straight baskets in a 10-4 run that brought the Royals to within 26 of the Bulldogs which was as close as Queens would get.
Hot shooting from a number of Bulldogs kept Barton ahead for the remainder of the game.
Barton had six players reach double figures in scoring this evening. Faith Hunter led the way with 21 points. Janetta Robinson and Nyeshea Willie scored 14 points apiece. Janae Jackson almost reached a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Jamila Johnson netted 12 points, while Kelsey Sill chipped in 11.
Next, the Royals will play host to St. Andrews Presbyterian College in a make-up game that was originally scheduled for January 10th. Thursday's game has a 5:30 tip-off time. The Royals have won the last six times that these two teams have met in the regular season. The last loss that Queens suffered from St. Andrews was during the 2006-07 season when the Knights made it to the NCAA national tournament.
