WILSON, N.C. — Senior forward Eddie Kershaw scored a game-high 26 points Wednesday night as the Barton College men's basketball team opened the 2009-10 season with a 110-82 romp of Virginia State University.

Kershaw (Youngstown, OH) canned 12-of-14 shots, pulled eight rebounds, had three assists, two steals and one block in 21 minutes of action for the Bulldogs, who never trailed and extended their home winning streak to 22 games (won all 15 last season). Barton will play Virginia Union and Mars Hill, respectively, in 5:30 p.m. tilts Friday and Saturday in the Pickle Classic at Mount Olive College.

Virginia State, which beat Barton in a season-opening game last season, was victimized by 29 turnovers as it fell to 0-2. The marathon game featured 61 fouls and 86 free-thow attempts. VSU was 35-of-50 (70 percent) from the line and Barton was 23-of-36 (64 percent). Barton shot 49 percent from the floor and the Trojans hit 33 percent.

Sophomore Barton guard Klevin Pollard (Upper Marlboro, MD) added 14 points, four rebounds and three assists; sophomore forward R.D. Dowdy (Chapel Hill, NC) delivered with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals; and senior forward L.J. Dunn (Raleigh, NC) tallied 10 points and 11 rebounds in just 14 minutes.

Dunn has been nursing an injured foot, thus saw limited court time. Junior point guard Greg Mammel (San Antonio, TX) totaled seven points, five assists and one steal, despite suffering a laceration above his eye in the first half that left blood all over the floor. Freshman point guard Gerald Boston (Burlington, NC) added nine points, four assists and two steals.

Barton bolted to a 4-0 lead, but VSU rallied within 13-12 at 15:09. A 22-4 run put the Bulldogs up 35-16 with 10:40 left in the half and they coasted to a 57-38 halftime cushion. The lead soared to 33 points at 90-57 with 9:04 to play, then both coaches substituted freely for the remainder of the contest. A thunderous dunk from senior forward Charles Gamble (Snow Hill, NC) made it 100-67 with 5:42 left.

Virginia State, which lost the rebounding battle 51-47, got 18 points and 14 rebounds from senior forward Jacobe Simpson (Charlotte, NC) , 13 points from Dijon Cuffee (Norfolk, VA) and 10 points from junior guard Brandon Plummer (Norfolk, VA).

Barton outscored the Trojans 37-22 in points off turnovers, 48-24 in the paint and 26-10 on second-effort points.

Our tradition of excellence in athletics is greatly enhanced by the success of and support for our basketball teams. Come out and help us get behind our Bulldogs.For tonight's game, note that spectators will be admitted to the Dog House beginning at 7 p.m. If you attend the tailgate sponsored by the SGA, please keep that in mind that you need to finish eating before 7 p.m.

As we support our Bulldogs, it is important that our spectatorship at games adhere to the standards set by the NCAA, Conference Carolinas, and Barton College. The key item is that we support our team and not look for ways to be negative toward the opposing players and coaches or game officials. Among the things that are not permitted are: audible profanity, intimidating language which references race, gender, or sexual preference, and language which references jersey numbers, names, and/or physical characteristics.

We have a tradition a great success by our basketball teams in the Dog House. Other teams don't like playing here because our teams are good and it is a very loud spectatorship. Be loud, enjoy the experience, and focus on supporting the Bulldogs! We intentionally promote a family atmosphere at games and the Wilson community has responded greatly by attending games and supporting our team.

Current Barton students and employees are admitted free to home games by showing your current Barton ID card at the admissions table. Immediate family members of Barton employees will also be admitted free if they enter with the employee. If you do not have an ID with you at the door, you will either need to get the ID and return or pay the $5 admissions charge. The price for admission is $5 each for ages 13 and up. Ages 12 and under are admitted free, but must enter with a paying adult unless entering with an adult with a Barton ID or other pass. Children must be supervised at games by the adult(s) with whom they entered.

Note that the two bleacher sections immediately behind the visiting team bench are reserved for spectators supporting the visiting team. Please select another area to be seated.

Concessions will be available at all home games. Also note our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be doing a 50-50 raffle and also be accepting donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation at all home games. Make-A-Wish is the designated non-profit organization for NCAA Division II and our SAAC has been very successful in raising funds for it in recent years. The raffle winner for each evening will be announced at halftime of the game, or at halftime of the men's game if it is a doubleheader.

The Bulldogs play in Mount Olive's Pickle Classic on Friday and Saturday. They take on Virginia Union at 5:30 on Friday evening and play Mars Hill at 5:30 on Saturday. A Pickle Classic web page has been set up on the Mount Olive athletics website at http://www.moc.edu/athletics/?44th_annual_pickle_classic.

Mount Olive College has announced that the admission price for all spectators for a one evening will be $10. Advanced tournament passes are available for $15 for the games on both evenings if purchased by 5 p.m. today. The phone number for the Athletic Office at Mount Olive College is 919-658-7759.

"Mel has been athletic and overpowering since her freshman year," Barton Head Coach Patrick Morgan said of his junior playmaker, "but she has continued to refine her game by finding ways to use smart ball placement and good decision making, along with her athleticism, to become a more well rounded volleyball player."
This is the second time that Ritter has received All-Conference honors. She made the third team last season as a sophomore.

Morgan points out that Ritter also excels in the classroom.

"I knew that Mel would be very successful both on the court and in the classroom once she got into her element," Morgan stated. "Once she found that accounting suited her, she began to excel, earning a 3.46 GPA for her sophomore year, and we expect her to do better than that this year."

Ritter was the only player from Barton (14-19 overall, 8-10 conference) named to the squad. She finished this season ranked second in the league in kills per set (4.0) and averaged nearly 3.9 digs per set as well. Mel was also named Conference Carolinas Volleyball Player of the Week on two occasions this season.

The conference championships started Tuesday with the top eight teams qualifying for quarterfinal action. Seventh-seeded Barton was eliminated 25-20, 25-20, 25-20 by second-seeded Pfeiffer University in the first round.

Regular-season champion Lees-McRae swept the Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards. Tournament semifinal play resumes Friday with the championship final on Sunday. All games are played at the highest remaining seed with the tournament champion receiving an automatic berth to the NCAA DII championships.

All-Conference 1st Team
Whitney Justice, Lees-McRae College
Melissa Ritter, Barton College
Melissa Thomas, Limestone College
Jamie Lancaster, Anderson University
Racey Bartley, Mount Olive College
Luana Rocha, Lees-McRae College
Joanie Werling, Mount Olive College

All-Conference 2nd Team
Galina Podolsky, St. Andrews Presbyterian College
Kristina Mordini, Pfeiffer University
Megan Epperson, Lees-McRae College
Alicia Mote, Mount Olive College
Alison Albers, Erskine College
Courtney McDonald, St. Andrews Presbyterian College
Megan Mitchell, Lees-McRae College

All-Conference 3rd Team
Chelsea Anthony, Limestone College
Christiane Maul, Mount Olive College
Brittany Dickens, Pfeiffer University
Larz Chabra, Erskine College
Lindsay Doggett, Anderson University

Freshman of the Year
Luana Rocha Lees-McRae College

Player of the Year
Whitney Justice Lees-McRae College

Coach of the Year
Jaime Petrik Lees-McRae College

The victory pushes the Lady Falcons record to 21-11. They will host a semifinal match against Limestone on Friday night. Barton, which was 8-10 in league play, ends its season at 14-19 overall.

The Lady Falcons started the night strong by hitting .368 in the first set, .304 in the match. Dickens snagged a pair of kills in the first three points while junior Kristina Mordini picked up three kills in a four-play span to put Pfeiffer up 13-8. After kills by the Bulldogs Melissa Ritter (Wescosville, PA), Megan Parrott (Oxford, NC) and Chancey Sebranek (Garden City, KS) put Barton within four, Ovbey helped separate the Lady Falcons with a pair of kills and a block with Victoria Parrish (Henderson, NC) to end set one 25-20 in favor of the hosts.

Set two began quickly for the Lady Falcons with a 4-0 lead as Dickens registered a pair of kills while Gerig served up two aces. Macon Harmon (Durham, NC) would get the Bulldogs squared at 4-4 with an ace, 7-7 with an assist to Ritter and 13-13 with another helper, this time to Kati Wood (Pasadena, MD), before the Lady Falcons pulled away for good in the middle set. Freshman outside hitter Jordan O'Bryant (Reidsville, NC), along with Dickens, each picked up a pair of late kills to secure a 25-20 set two victory.

Continuing the offense output on Tuesday, O'Bryant threw down three more kills in a four-play span to help push the hosts to a 6-1 lead in front of Ovbey's third kill of the set which gave Pfeiffer a 15-11 advantage. Three Barton errors and a pair of Cassie Byerly (Lewistown, MT) aces advanced the lead to 22-13 before a kill by Ritter and four-straight Pfeiffer errors brought the Bulldogs back to within five at 23-18. However, Dickens and O'Bryant would secure back-to-back kills to end the match.

Ritter and Wood each had nine kills for the visitors while Carly Cash (Oxford, NC) had 14 assists.

The Pfeiffer-Limestone winner will face either Lees-McRae or Anderson in the championship match on Sunday.

There is live streaming video and stats for your enjoyment. Barton is the 7th seed and Pfeiffer is the #2 seed. The match begins at 6:30 p.m.

The Lady Bulldogs of head coach Patrick Morgan are locked into the seventh spot in the league standings and should play at No. 2 seed Pfeiffer Tuesday night. The game will likely be contested at 6:30. Barton concludes the regular season Saturday at 2 in Wilson Gymnasium against league rival Limestone.

"The first game was a game of runs, and we just had the last run," Morgan said, noting that the Valkyries had closed within 20-19 before the Lady Bulldogs ran off the last five points. "In the second game, we played well, and unfortunately, they did not. They just made a lot of unforced errors, and we capitalized on that. We just stayed aggressive in the third game, played well and eked out the victory."

Barton was up 24-21 in the final set when Converse scored four straight to take a 25-24 lead. The Lady Bulldogs rattled off three straight points to win the match.

Morgan was happy that he was able to get junior Meagan Parrott back on the court for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks. Parrott has been one of two injured starters for the Lady Bulldogs. Junior libero Cassie Blackmon is still out after breaking her thumb.

Junior setter Carly Cash accounted for 16 assists, six digs and two aces and junior setter Macon Harmon added 19 assists in running the show for Barton. Junior outside hitter Mel Ritter pounded 12 kills, had 16 digs, made three blocks and served up three aces. Freshman outside hitter Kati Wood added 15 kills and two digs.

David King, Bobby Buffaloe and Errol Frails led Barton to a sensational 103-26 (.798) record, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament, three conference regular-season and tournament championships, East Region titles in 2006 and 2007, NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006, 2007 and 2009, Elite Eight appearances in 2006 and 2007 and the NCAA D-II National Championship in 2007.

The Bulldogs return 15 players from last year's 25-7 (17-3 conference) squad that shared the Conference Carolinas regular season championship and won the tournament title. Leading the Bulldogs this season will be 6-3 senior forward L.J. Dunn, a returning first-team All-Conference Carolinas choice. Dunn, an All-America candidate who made the All-Southeast Region team, averaged 14.6 points and 9.2 rebounds last season while shooting a sensational 61.4 percent from the floor. Junior guard Greg Mammel is the other returning starter. He averaged 7.3 points, three assists and 1.2 steals per game.

"It is a tremendous honor for the conference coaches to vote us No. 1," 14th-year head coach Ron Lievense said, "but it is not where you start, but where you finish. We have lost a lot of tremendous players that have left a great legacy at Barton. Now, it's time for all these young players here to leave their own legacy. I think a lot of this vote has to do with the success we have had in recent years. Our guys will have to step up to earn this honor."

Mount Olive College returns three All-Conference players from last year's regular season conference co-champions, including preseason second team All-American and 2008-09 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Kendrick Easley. The Trojans finished 18-10 last year and won a share of its second consecutive regular season Conference Carolinas title with a 17-3 mark. Easley ranked nationally and led the conference in scoring with a 21.2 points per game average. The senior guard was also nationally ranked in free throw percentage and three-point field goal percentage. Junior forward Craig Hayes and senior guard/forward Mike Holloman both earned All-Conference Carolinas honorable mention last year.

The Trojans graduated two-time All-Conference point guard and Trojan career assists leader Justin Melton, but bring back sophomore Derek Staton, who started eight games last year while Melton was injured. Mount Olive opens the season at Lenoir Rhyne before hosting the annual Mount Olive College Pickle Classic. This year's Classic includes two of the last five national champions in Barton and Virginia Union.

The 2009-10 Anderson University men's basketball team returns ten players, including four starters from a 15-win team (15-14 overall, 12-8 league) and fifth-place Conference Carolinas regular season finish. Last year's team ranked third in the conference and 33rd in the country, scoring 80.8 points per game. Guard Brandon Young and forward Stephen Cobb lead the group of returnees. Young, who is poised to join the 1,000-point club this season, was a First Team All-Conference performer last season after averaging 16.8 points per game. Cobb averaged 12.7 ppg and shot 43.8 percent from the field last year as a sophomore. He was named to the Conference Carolinas All-Tournament team. The Trojans return 85 percent of their potent scoring offense from last season and bolstered by two newcomers, look to be contenders this season.

Rounding out the men's poll 4-11 was: Pfeiffer, Belmont Abbey, Erskine, Queens, Limestone, Coker, Lees-McRae, and St. Andrews, respectively.

The Barton women have played in three of the last six NCAA D-II tournaments and would like nothing more than to be tipping off in the postseason come March of 2010. Head coach Wendee Saintsing, in her 21st season, returns three starters (Esty Flores, Jannetta Robinson and Jamila Johnson) and has a freshman class of nine, so developing team chemistry will have a lot to do with how successful the Lady Bulldogs will be this year. Three other players return from a 2008-09 squad that finished 22-6 overall and won the Conference Carolinas regular-season championship at 18-4. However, the Lady Bulldogs were left out of the NCAA Tournament, so they have a point to prove this season.

Flores, the 5-foot-3 point guard and reigning Conference Player of the Year, will again run the show for Barton. The All-Southeast Region first-team pick averaged 20.5 points and 5.1 assists last season. Senior 6-1 center Sharnita Alston, 5-8 junior Destiny Hamlin and 6-2 junior Kelsey Sill are experienced players as well.

"Nobody knows what you have," Saintsing said. "It (preseason poll) is really based on last year, so you can't put a lot of weight in preseason polls. We're young and talented, so I think that success will come when we are able to gel and get everybody thinking and doing the same thing. It's just a matter of how long that will take."

Mount Olive College places second in this year's preseason poll as they return three starters from last year's squad, which eclipsed the 20-win mark for the second straight year and made their second consecutive appearance in the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship game. The Trojans rode a school-record 14-game winning streak to a 23-7 mark and finished second in the conference standings with a 17-5 record. Senior forward Jasmine Whitby earned All-Southeast Region honors and was named to the All-Conference Carolinas first team. Whitby became the first player in Trojan basketball history - women or men - to record a "30-20″ game with 32 points and 20 rebounds against Erskine. She ranked seventh in the conference in scoring with a 15.8 average and also ranked in the top five in rebounds and steals.

Also returning is junior point guard Shequanta McGee and junior forward Brittany Miller. McGee ranked sixth in the conference in assists and hit a crucial three-pointer in the final minute of the Trojans' semifinal win over Belmont Abbey in last year's Conference Carolinas Tournament. Miller ranked sixth in the conference last year with a 53.7 percent field goal percentage and blocked a three-point attempt at the buzzer in a two-point win at Queens. After winning the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament Regional semifinals in 2007-08, Mount Olive was conference tournament runner-up last year.
Anderson University comes in tied for the third-place spot in the preseason poll with Belmont Abbey. The Trojans are coming off their sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament following their fourth Conference Carolinas tournament championship. The Trojans return five players, including two starters, from last year's squad, which posted an 18-13 overall and 14-8 league record after winning nine of their last 11 games. The backcourt is anchored by guards Shanice Wilson and junior Alexa Neal. Wilson started all 31 games, while Neal started 28 contests. Neal earned All-Tournament accolades and Honorable Mention All-Conference honors after averaging 14.5 points and a team-high 4.4 assists (ranking fourth in the conference). The Trojans also welcome eight newcomers to the 2009-10 squad.

The Belmont Abbey College women's basketball team returns seven players, including its top three leading scorers, for Coach Susan Yow, who will be entering her third season after guiding the Lady Crusaders to back-to-back 19-10 records (16-6 league record). Forward Shayla Jackson returns as the Abbey's leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, while senior guards Courtney Naquin and Ashley Giddens averaged 12.9 and 9.76 per game, respectively. The returners will complement five recruits for the upcoming season - Kelsey Campbell, Alyx Ingram, Kiandria "Kiki" Allen, Dana Middleton and Autumn Smith-Faulkner.

Rounding out the women's poll at 5-12 are: Queens, Erskine, Coker, Limestone, Pfeiffer, Lees-McRae, Converse, and St. Andrews, respectively.

Regular-season champion Lees-McRae, currently ranked 7th nationally in NCAA D-II, had four players named to the first team.

Men's All-Conference 1st-Team
Berin Boracic, Lees-McRae - Forward
Emmanual Yamson, Belmont Abbey - Forward
Paulo Passini, Anderson - Forward
Alistair Benson, Limestone - Forward
Lasse Sohrweide, Anderson - Midfielder
Kash Knight, Pfeiffer - Midfielder
Renato Barbosa, Pfeiffer - Midfielder
Dale Parker, Lees-McRae - Defender
Luke Duffy, Lees-McRae - Defender
Dominic Casciato, Limestone - Defender
Sean Paradise, Lees-McRae - Goalkeeper

Men's All-Conference 2nd-Team
Richard Guffens, Lees-McRae - Forward
Alex Landim, Pfeiffer - Forward
Eric Stiefield, Coker - Forward
David Palmer, Lees-McRae - Midfielder
Keegan Ziada, Limestone - Midfielder
Lee Smyth, Limestone - Midfielder
James Moseley, Anderson - Defender
Marc Mergena, Coker - Defender
Jack Reid, Belmont Abbey - Defender
Wilver Menacho, Pfeiffer - Defender
Alex Moreno, Pfeiffer - Goalkeeper

Men's All-Conference 3rd-Team
Daniel Shrizad, Coker - Forward
Junior Ellis, Limestone - Forward
Daniel Montero, St. Andrews - Forward
Luke Perry, Lees-McRae - Midfielder
Jack Kimber, Erskine - Midfielder
Nick Brindley, Pfeiffer - Midfielder
Jamie Bladen, Lees-McRae - Midfielder
Rayon Markland, Anderson - Defender
James Burke, Limestone - Defender
Luke Vernon, Pfeiffer - Defender
James Sweeney, Coker - Goalkeeper

Freshman of the Year
Luke Perry, Lees-McRae

Player of the Year
Berin Boracic, Lees-McRae

Coach of the Year
Chris Whalley, Lees-McRae

League regular-season champion Belmont Abbey was represented by four players on the first team.

Women's All-Conference 1st-Team
Connie Axiotis, Belmont Abbey - Forward
Kristen Wright, Queens - Forward
Jessica Kleinberg, Anderson - Forward
Vickie Rich, Lees-McRae - Forward
Alyssa Wombwell, Pfeiffer - Midfielder
Celene Molera, Belmont Abbey - Midfielder
Nicole Voets, Belmont Abbey - Midfielder
Sara McCormack, Pfeiffer - Defender
Amanda Maddock, Belmont Abbey - Defender
Katherine Johnson, Queens - Defender
Kristen Kornacki, Queens - Goalkeeper

Women's All-Conference 2nd-Team
Kirsten Bartsch, Pfeiffer - Forward
Samantha Brown, Pfeiffer - Forward
Hilary Peterson, Barton - Forward
Ashley Cotton, Anderson - Midfielder
Megan Reaves, Pfeiffer - Midfielder
Madi Dulisse, Limestone - Midfielder
Mary Dorn, Lees-McRae - Defender
Lindsay Palm, Belmont Abbey - Defender
Katelyn Conover, Anderson - Defender
Hilary Parkin, Converse - Defender
Suzie Hinman, Pfeiffer - Goalkeeper

Women's All-Conference 3rd-Team
Tia Rose, Mount Olive - Forward
Molly Harpe, Erskine - Forward
Rebekka Hagarman, Limestone - Forward
Aerial Gregston, Lees-McRae - Midfielder
Lindsay Patterson, Erskine - Midfielder
Maribeth Novak, Lees-McRae - Midfielder
Krystal Hedderman, St. Andrews - Midfielder
Patrice Clarke, Mount Olive - Defender
Caroline Smith, Mount Olive - Defender
Tiffany Caudle, Pfeiffer - Defender
Si' Ara Washington, Erskine - Goalkeeper

Freshman of the Year
Kristen Wright, Queens

Player of the Year
Connie Axiotis, Belmont Abbey

Coach of the Year
Renee Lopez, Lees-McRae