Cougars lose 1st game of season; now 10-1 with split at Pratt Classic
The Barton Community College men’s basketball team fell for the 1st time this season in a fast-paced battle with one of the top teams in Division II this past weekend in Pratt as the Cougars went 1-1 for the weekend during the Thanksgiving Classic at Lesh Sports Arena. The Cougars fell to Cecil College (Md) Friday 88-85 then trounced the Friends JV Saturday 99-53. The loss to the No. 2 ranked team in Division II and the win over the JV gives the Cougars a 10-1 mark as they head to the Jayhawk Shoot Out this weekend in Coffeyville. Barton will take on Indy and Labette at the Shoot Out.
Highlights
Barton and Cecil entertained a small crowd to start the Thanksgiving Classic in a noon track meet. The teams sprinted up and down the floor for 40 minutes with the unbeaten Seahawks coming out on top by the slim margin. The Cougars had their chances to tie late in the contest but 3 different Cougars – Corey Bingham, Marcus Butler, and Josh Martin – all missed treys before time expired against the Cougars toughest foe to date.
Barton trailed nearly the entire contest as Cecil went on a 12-0 run to take a 34-24 lead on the Cougars with just less than 6 minutes left in the opening half. The Seahawks led the entire way after that. Barton was able to trim the lead – which grew as high as 14 – to just 8 at half, 48-40. The Cougars got it as low as 2 early in the 2nd half at 51-49.
Another Cecil run – this time an 18-4 run – gave the Seahawks a 69-53 lead with 14 minutes to play. The Cougars again clawed their way back into the contest, trimming it to 80-77 with 6 minutes to play. Barton cut it to 86-85 with 32 seconds left on a Matt Simmons hoop then had the chance to tie after Cecil made a pair of free throws. Bingham put the 1st shot up with 9 seconds to play, got his own rebound and found Butler for his 3-point effort. That bounded off with Cornelius Brown grabbing the carom and finding Martin for one last effort with 2 seconds to play.
Martin and Bingham each scored 17 to pace Barton with Bingham adding 8 assists and Martin 7. Nyika Williams added 15 points and 9 rebounds while Taaj Ridley recorded his 1st double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Chip Steven added 11 keyed by 3-of-5 shooting on 3-pointers. Barton made 8-of-18 behind the arc while Cecil knocked down 14-of-35 3-pointers.
Saturday the Cougars blew open things in the 2nd half against a Friends JV that owns a win over Labette early in the season and played Neosho to single digits the night before. Barton led just 40-31 at intermission but outscored the Falcons 56-22 in the 2nd half. In the 2nd half Barton scored 34 points in the paint, 34 points off turnovers, 27 fast-break points, and 15 2nd chance points.
Dennan Morrow hit 4-of-8 treys to lead Barton with 14 points followed by Bingham and Ridley with 13. Butler added 12 and Williams 10 in the win. Martin led Barton with 7 assists and Brown had 7 boards to pace the Cougars.
Stats
Stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu/sports
Next
Dec 5 – v Indy 9 pm (Jayhawk Shoot Out in Coffeyville)
Dec 7 – v Labette 1 pm (Jayhawk Shoot Out in Coffeyville)
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