CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With 12 seconds on the clock and the ball in their hands, the Royals couldn't get a final shot off before the buzzer sounded in overtime ending an intense game between Queens University of Charlotte and Barton College. The Bulldogs escaped The Oven with the 97-94 win over the Royals remaining undefeated in conference play at 16-0. The regionally ranked sixth Bulldogs are 20-2 overall.
Queens now sits at 9-6 in league action putting them in fifth place. The Royals are 10-11 overall.
Jessica Lewis (Hampton, Va., Bethel) of the Royals scored the game tying layup forcing the game into overtime as time ran off the clock. Nyeshea Willie of Barton had a chance to win the game but came up short on a jumper.
The Royals netted the first basket of the extra period before a turnover allowed the Bulldogs to tie the game and take the lead. Queens scored a pair of layups to tie the game up for the 13th time before Barton took over for good.
Queens emerged from a timeout at the 1:40 mark hoping for a final push for the win. Lewis attacked the front of the rim for a lay in bringing the Royals to within one of Barton, 93-92. Barton immediately responded with a Jamila Johnson jumper putting them back up by three. Queens' final points came with 15 ticks on the clock, but the Bulldogs still had some offense left as they quickly scored another two giving them the three point victory.
Coming in to this evening's game Queens knew they would have to show up on the offensive and defensive end against the nationally ranked fourth scoring offense that is Barton. The Royals were up for the challenge holding Barton to 39-percent shooting while they shot 54.8-percent from the floor in the first half.
The Royals led much of the evenly matched first period that saw seven ties. Queens entered the break with a one point lead, 40-39, after Melissa Thomas (Havelock, N.C., Havelock) provided a four point spurt at the end of the half.
In the second half, the Bulldogs poured on the offense fast regaining the lead and stretching it to as much as 12 points. With 9:32 on the clock, the Royals began their comeback chipping away at the margin.
Barton tried to fight off the attack but the Royals were right there on their heels, as Queens saw a 13-4 scoring run that brought them back in the game. Marissa Hudley (Charlotte, N.C., Harding University ) closed the gap to one point on a free-throw with 3:39 on the clock.
The game stayed close down to the final minutes when a foul by Thomas sent Willie of the Bulldogs to the line where she knocked down two putting Barton up 80-78. Lewis followed the free-throws with a layup for Queens sending the game in to overtime.
Both teams were evenly matched tonight on the stat sheet scoring 54 points apiece in the paint. Queens edged Barton on second chance points with 19 to their 18. Barton's bench outscored the Royals' bench by two, 37-35. The big difference for the evening was points off of turnovers scored. The Bulldogs capitalized on Queens' 25 turnovers converting them in to 25 points.
Leading all scorers and rebounders tonight was Hudley with 24 points and 15 boards. Lewis flirted with a triple-double scoring 19 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. Shonice Pettaway (Walstonburg, N.C., Greene Central) almost reached a double-double as well with 14 points and nine rebounds.Thomas and Shakaria Hamlin (Hartsville, S.C., Hartsville) chipped in 15 and 12, respectively.
Barton was led by Willie as she scored 18 points and totaled nine rebounds with five steals. Johnson scored 16 points and had seven assists. Shante Neal missed a double-double by one rebound scoring 14 points and grabbing nine boards. Jannetta Robinson scored 12 points and had eight rebounds while Faith Hunter netted 11.
The Royals will travel to face Erskine College on Thursday in a game with a 5:30 pm tip.
