Barton wins Region VI opener; Coffeyville next up

Barton wins Region VI opener; Coffeyville next up
The first round game of the Region VI tournament has not produced a bunch of big wins for the Barton County men's basketball team the past few years. But the Cougars have shown that it doesn't matter how large the margin of victory is, just that it is a victory. So the slim 78-71 win over Neosho County Wednesday night at the Barton County Gym will do just fine. Last season on the way to the Region VI title, the Cougars won by just six points in first round. Barton is now 22-9 with the win while Neosho ends its season at 17-14.

Highlights
The Cougars never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 19 point in the second half. Barton shot 50 percent from the floor in the opening half, building a 39-27 lead. But in the second half, it was Neosho that was hitting shots. The Panthers knocked down 19-of-32 shots in the second stanza while Barton hit just 38 percent. Neosho got the lead as low as five points late in the game.

Barton was led by freshman point guard Jesse McClung, who scored a career-high 19 points in the contest. The Indianapolis product was just one of four players in double figures for the Cougars. Freshman Robert Whaley struggled from the floor at times but ended the night 7-of-15 with 18 points. He also added seven rebounds. Sophomore Jason Cater, playing for the last time in the Barton County Gym, added 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Freshman Rone Smith turned in one of his better outings of the year with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Neosho was paced by Michael Cuffee with 18 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Darren Jamison also tossed in 18 and grabbed eight boards. Bobby Leach added 14.

Next Up
It might not be the feature game time-wise Sunday in Salina, but the match-up will be one of great intrigue when Barton County and Coffeyville hook it up at 2 p.m. at the Bicentennial Center in Salina. The Region VI quarterfinal contest will pit the two preseason favorites in the Jayhawk. While Barton finished fourth in the West this season, Coffeyville has rolled to a 30-1 mark and a No. 2 ranking in the nation. But the last two seasons have ended for Coffeyville in this same round with losses to Barton. The Cougars won last year, when Coffeyville was the East's top seed and the Cougars were the 4th seed in the West, defeating the Ravens, 76-73 on a 30-foot shot at the buzzer by Ebi Ere. The previous year, when the Cougars were the West's top seed, they rolled to a 101-53 win.

Stats
Game boxes and cumulative stats can be found at the following website.

Barton County Men's Basketball Online at http://www.barton.cc.ks.us/sports/MB_01-02/mbasketball_01-02.htm