Box Score Wilson, N.C. – North Greenville succumbed to a late Barton surge on Tuesday night as the Bulldogs edged the Crusaders 76-74 in the first Conference Carolinas game of 2017.
The Crusaders shot 42.3 percent as a team, hitting 30 of 71 shots. Daniel Burchette led North Greenville point getters with 17 to go along with four assists. Justin Dotson added 12-points and a team high nine rebounds off the bench while Tommy Wade scored 11-points. R.J. Claypool led all scorers with 21-points.
North Greenville trailed early but gained a 10-9 edge on a layup from Roderick Howell. The Crusaders would hold serve until late in the second half, leading by as many as 13-points, a lead which came with 6-minutes left in the first half.
The final three minutes of the game saw five lead changes. North Greenville nabbed one final advantage when a Tyland Crawford layup made the score 67-66 but the Bulldogs quickly answered with a triple to go up 69-67. A lead they would cling to for the final 2:30.
The Crusaders stayed close until a pair of free throws by Barton’s Claypool made the score 76-71, a two possession contest with just six seconds left. Daniel Burchette would knock down a three pointer in the final seconds but the Bulldogs would go on to drain the final second en route to a conference win over the Crusaders.
The loss to the Bulldogs drops NGU to 5-5 overall and 1-3 in league play. The Crusaders will take on Emmanuel College on January 6th at 7:30pm.
