Cougars lead throughout in season opener, defeat Fort Scott 97-76

The Barton Community College men's basketball team opened the 2014-15 season Friday cruising to a 97-76 win over Fort Scott Community College in the first day of the Best Western and Pizza Hut Classic.  The Cougars led throughout the contest in defeating the Greyhounds for the second consecutive time to start the season as Barton defeated Fort Scott in the opening game last year.  Barton will next play Pure Prep Academy at 7:30 p.m. Saturday to wrap up the Classic while Fort Scott will take on Dodge City Community College in the 3:00 p.m. game.

Barton broke open the game early getting consecutive Tyron Hamby slashes to the goal giving the Cougars a 15-7 lead.  Fort Scott would draw to within three once but behind the scoring of ten different Cougars in the first half, Barton led by at the halftime break 47-39.

Fort Scott cut the deficit to six to begin second half play but a three-pointer by Detroit freshman Tyrone Acuff quickly pushed the Barton lead out to nine.  Acuff went on to score the Cougars' next six points to get the Barton lead into double-digits for the rest of the contest.

Acuff led three Cougars in double digit scoring with twenty-two as eleven of the thirteen players scored at least two points.  Ahmad Walker scored nineteen and led the Cougars with eight assists and five steals while fellow sophomore transfer Kenny Enoch scored seventeen.

Dodge City Community College opened up its season with an impressive 104-57 win over an overmatched Pure Prep Academy team in the earlier men's Classic game.  George Brock came off the bench to lead six Conquistadors in double figures with twenty-two and a team high four steals.  Raheem Watts dropped fourteen while EJ Eaves and Jaylen Tucker each scored twelve with Tucker leading the rebounding with nine.  Getting ten points each were Payton Pervier and Dave O'Brien while Brett O'Neill dished out a team high six assists to go along with eight points.  

Deon Baldwin led Pure Prep with twenty points while Mario Manuel contributed eleven with a team high eight rebounds.

In day two of the Classic, Dodge City will take on Fort Scott in the 3:00 p.m. game while Pure Prep Academy will take on Barton in the 7:30 p.m. game.