BRISTOL, Tenn. – In the first round of the Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship, the ninth-seeded King University women's basketball team took on eighth-seeded Barton College at Chowan University on Sunday evening. The Bulldogs made a run in the fourth quarter, but the Tornado held off Barton behind 25 points from
Le'Aije Ellington to take the contest 76-73.
THE BASICS
FINAL: No. 9 King 76, No. 8 Barton 73
LOCATION: Bob Burke Court; Murfreesboro, N.C.
RECORDS: King 9-20; Barton 8-19
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- Barton grabbed the early lead and held the advantage through the first half of the opening period.
- King scored seven straight points, started by a pair of Le'Aije Ellington free throws and capped by an Ellington triple that gave King a 12-10 lead.
- Following a Barton basket, King scored five straight points on an Ellington triple and Ashley Allen jump shot.
- Another 5-0 King run, this one capped by a Tori Smiley triple gave King a 22-14 lead before Marta Raseron beat the buzzer to give King a 27-16 lead going to the second period.
Second Period
- The Tornado gradually extended their advantage in the quarter as a Jhayda McKinney layup gave King a 33-20 lead with three minutes remaining in the quarter.
- King then closed the period on a 10-2 run as McKinney knocked down a triple to give King a 43-25 lead at the half.
Third Period
- Barton chipped away at their deficit and pulled within 46-36 four minutes into the half before a McKinney triple.
- The Bulldogs pulled within nine on multiple occasions, but King stretched the lead back to 12 points.
- However, Barton scored the final five points of the quarter, cutting the King lead to 56-49 going to the fourth quarter.
Fourth Period
- The Bulldogs connected from long range to start the quarter before a Jaden Potts triple pushed the King lead back to 59-52.
- Smiley followed with a layup before the Bulldogs went on another run.
- Barton scored 14 straight points to take a 66-61 lead with 3:38 remaining.
- Ellington then knocked down a pair of triples, vaulting the Tornado into a 67-66 lead with two minutes remaining.
- Ellington added a free throw before an Allen steal and Potts layup gave King a 70-66 lead.
- The Bulldogs came back and pulled within 71-70, but Ellington made four free throws and Smiley added another to give King the 76-73 win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Ellington scored a career-high 25 points, going 11-for-14 from the free throw line.
- Allen posted a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
- Smiley chipped in with 12 points while Jaelyn West scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds.
FOR THE FOES
- Nyah Wilkins led Barton with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
- Lauren Walker added 16 points while Lauren Mingo added 13 points and nine rebounds.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The 25 points for Ellington set a career-high, topping her previous best of 16.
- Allen set a career-best with 14, one more than her previous high.
UP NEXT
- King now takes on fifth-seed Chowan University at 5:00 p.m. on Monday in Murfreesboro, N.C.
