MISENHEIMER — The bus driver got lost when Pfeiffer University’s women’s basketball team journeyed to Wilson to play Barton College back on November 30. The Falcons didn’t arrive at the gym until 15 minutes before game-time. But then they found themselves very quickly. They blew the Bulldogs away.
Circumstances were reversed in the rematch Thursday night. The Falcons had no trouble finding their own Merner Gym, but lost their way once they got there. Pfeiffer, which had won six straight Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference games, couldn’t get in sync and was bitten by the Bulldogs 74-69.
“We couldn’t flow tonight,” said disappointed Pfeiffer coach Angie Morton. “We didn’t execute. We had every chance to jump on them and we just didn’t do it.”
It looked like Pfeiffer would have an easy outing in the early going. The Falcons (8-7, 7-4) trailed 4-0, then reeled off an impressive 11-2 burst, getting consecutive 3-pointers from Shannon Reid, Mindy Kostorick and former East Rowan standout Brooke
Misenheimer.
But Barton settled down and found itself ahead 29-26 at the half, thanks largely to 12 Falcon turnovers.
“We were taking the outside shots that usually go, but tonight, they wouldn’t,” said Morton. “And all those turnovers — they just killed us.”
Pfeiffer’s inside force Amanda Joplin opened the second half by making a 12-footer, then blocking a shot. But the Bulldogs (6-4, 6-8) refused to be intimidated.
Pfeiffer had slipped behind by nine points when it finally made a move. Reid took a long pass from Misenheimer and nailed one of her four 3-pointers to cut the gap to 63-57 with 4:50 remaining. Then Misenheimer banked in a runner from the left side for 63-59 and it appeared the Falcons might have some momentum.
But a key sequence came on Barton’s next possession. Pfeiffer’s Jess Wilber poked the ball loose in the lane, but it rolled straight to the Bulldogs’ main threat, six-footer Shemika Reid (28 points), who knew exactly what to do with it. She put the ball in the hole and was fouled and the lead went back to seven.
“Probably a five-point swing, because we would have had a break going,” said Morton. “The balls like that have been bouncing our way lately. Tonight, they went the other way.”
Pfeiffer managed to close the gap to one point on two occasions. Shannon Reid drilled a 3 for 66-65 with 2:23 remaining and Joplin scooped one in at 1:21 for 68-67. But the Falcons’ defense couldn’t come up with a stop after either score.
Down three, the Falcons committed a huge turnover with 50 seconds left. Shannon Reid tried to lob the ball to Joplin on an inbounds play from the side, but Joplin got tangled up with Shemika Reid, lost her balance and the ball rolled out of bounds.
“That play’s worked for us so many times this season,” said Morton. “Amanda just couldn’t hold her defender off. If she does, it’s a
layup, because there was no help.”
The Falcons final opportunity came after a Barton turnover with 45 seconds left. Pfeiffer guard Carrie Duke had a decent look at a tying 3-pointer from the top with 36 seconds left, but missed. Seneka Blackwell grabbed the rebound for Barton, was fouled and made one of her free throws. It was a two-possession game the rest of the way.
“It was just a bad, bad game,” said Misenheimer. “I really can’t explain what happened to us. Everything had been going so well.”
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NOTES:Barton shot 51 percent from the field. ... Josephine Bain scored 13 and had eight boards for Pfeiffer. ... The Falcons will try to get back on track against Coker on Saturday.
BARTON (74) — Locus 10, Blackwell 7, Vann 5, She. Reid 28, Spencer 6, Waddell 3, Baldwin 10, Suman 5.
PFEIFFER 69) — Wilber 8, Williams 2, Atkins, Misenheimer 5, Kostorick 3, Duke 2,
Sha. Reid 16, J. Bain 13, Goad 7, Joplin 13.
Barton 29 45 — 74
Pfeiffer 26 45 — 69
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