Boxscore

WILSON, N.C. –  Saint Augustine's College picked up an important 80-75 non-conference overtime victory over Barton College Friday (Dec. 2) in the Barton 45-Second Classic at Wilson Gymnasium.

The Falcons (3-2 overall) are the first CIAA team this season to knock off Barton, who had beaten three previous CIAA opponents by an average margin of 15.3 points. The Falcons did it by outscoring the Bulldogs 8-3 in the extra period.

The Falcons clinched the victory with four free throws in final 13 seconds, including two free throws by junior guard David Brown (Richmond, Va.) with five seconds left for the decisive five-point margin. Free throws keyed the Falcons, who were 33-for-42 for 79 percent. Barton was 21-for-31 at the charity stripe for 68 percent.

Brown finished with a career-high 19 points including 12-for-13 free throw shooting. He also added five assists, seven rebounds and two steals. Sophomore guard Joel Kindred (Raleigh, N.C.) scored 23 points on 10-for-12 free throw shooting for the Falcons including four points in overtime. His two free throws with 13 seconds left in OT pushed the Falcons' lead to 78-75. Redshirt sophomore Chris Johnson (Hampton, Va.) scored 14 points including a deep three-pointer from the left corner with four seconds in regulation to send the game in overtime tied 72-72.

The Falcons also got a yeoman's effort from junior guard Chris Rhodes (Greenville, S.C.), who scored a career-high 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting including 2-for-4 from three-point land. Barton (5-2 overall), a Carolinas Conference member, was led by Joseph Velez, who scored 16 points. Jaren Haley, Jon Hart and Keith Manley each added 12 points and Hart grabbed 10 rebounds.

With home wins over Talladega and Va.-Lynchburg, the Falcons were seeking a signature win to jumpstart the season. They got it against Barton on the Bulldogs' home floor. In perhaps their finest game of the young season, the Falcons put forth a gritty effort against their taller opponent in a back-and-forth game which featured 11 lead changes and seven ties.

The Falcons gradually opened an eight-point lead with 6:54 in regulation only to watch the Bulldogs rally with a 17-5 run. Two free throws gave the Bulldogs a 70-66 lead with 29 seconds left. The Falcons could have easily faltered down the stretch on the road against a good team. Instead, they charged back.

Rhodes converted a three-point play to close the gap to 70-69. After two Barton free throws, the Falcons called timeout to set up a play. When action resumed, the Falcons moved the ball around, searching for an open spot to shoot the three. The ball ended up in the hands of Johnson, who was tightly covered. With time running down, Johnson launched a three-point shot in the left corner. He made the basket to send the game into overtime.

Gaining momentum from the game-tying three, the Falcons simply outplayed the Bulldogs in overtime. It was quite a reversal from their last overtime game two weeks ago when Catawba rallied from a 10-point second half deficit to take the win in its gym. In that game, Joel Kindred missed a free throw in the final seconds of regulation which would have sealed the victory for the Falcons. On Friday, Kindred canned two crucial free throws in overtime to help the Falcons win. It was the type of clutch effort needed by the Falcons to beat Barton.

The Falcons don't have much time to reflect on the big victory. They meet Mount Olive College Saturday in the event at 2 p.m.