Cougar men run win streak to eight with pair of weekend victories

The Barton Community College men's basketball team won two games over the weekend's Best Western Angus Inn and Cougar Booster Club Classic to run their win streak to eight straight.  The Cougars defeated Independence Community College by an impressive 87-70 margin then held off Cowley College on Saturday 80-75 to wrap up the weekend sweep.   Barton improved to 10-1 on the season going into next Saturday's anticipated 3:00 p.m. matchup against Division II powerhouse Brown Mackie College at the Barton Gym.   Like the Cougars, Brown Mackie went 2-0 over the weekend with a 90-87 win Friday over Cowley and an 85-80 Saturday victory over Independence.

It took Barton a little while to get rolling Friday against Independence but the Cougars assumed command for the final twenty-eight minutes.  A pair of key stretches in the final quarter of the game accumulated in a 16-1 advantage in a matter of three minutes put the game away and send Independence to 3-6 on the season.

As been the case in most contest this season, Barton again had balanced scoring and a boost from the bench with three of the five players reaching double digits coming from the non-starting role.  Ahmad Walker led all scorers with a career high twenty-seven, twelve coming from a 12-of-14 performance from the charity stripe.  Coming off the bench, Christian Smith set career high marks with sixteen points and eight rebounds, tying Walker for game high honors. Reserves Tyron Hamby and Khalil Gracey each scored eleven while Tyrone Acuff added ten.   Hamby led a sixteen assist team effort with four while Smith and Acuff led in thefts with three each.  

Independence placed only two players in double digits but had scoring contributions from all twelve players.  Jerry Melton led the Pirates with sixteen while James Jappa muscled inside for twelve points.  Eric Green came off the bench to lead with five rebounds while Jammar Sturdivant dished out a team high four assists to go along with nine points.  

Barton picked up its eighth straight victory Saturday in shaking off the pesky Cowley College Tigers.  Having led most of the game but suddenly finding itself in a seven point hole with ten minutes to play, the Cougars went on a 12-0 run in a four minute stretch to recapture the lead for the final eight minutes of the contest.  The victory improved Barton to 10-1 on the season while dropping Cowley to a deceiving 1-7 mark on the early season. 

After scoring a career high twenty-seven on Friday night, Ahmad Walker followed with a twenty-six point effort grabbing a season high ten rebounds to post his first double-double as a Cougar while also leading the team with five assists.  Jalen Barnes also posted a career high output with twenty-one while Tyrone Acuff finished with ten.

Cowley also got a double-double effort as Soufiyane Diakite's twenty-three point ten rebounds led the tigers.  Shyheid Petteway added twelve while Mason Loewen dished out a team high five assists and Jordan Burgess led with four thefts.

Complete results of the Best Western Angus Inn and Cougar Booster Club Thanksgiving Classic

Photos of Barton in action over the weekend