The Barton Community College men's basketball team picked up its first true win of the season Saturday night as the Cougars pulled away late in defeating host Iowa Western Community College.
Taking both games of the Holiday Inn/Hampton Inn Reiver Classic held in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Barton concludes the non-conference portion of the schedule at 8-1 in dropping Iowa Western to 4-6 on the year.
Following a break for the holiday, Barton resumes action on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. tip hosting Cowley College in the Cougars' conference opener. The women's squad also has the week off from competition and will begin Saturday's doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. against the nationally receiving votes Lady Tigers.
The squad's exchanged first half blows before an eventual Justin Harmon tip-in at the buzzer gave Barton a 31-30 lead to intermission.
Iowa Western punched the Cougars off the opening tip with back-to-back threes but a 12-0 Barton run flipped the scrip behind a pair of Martin Vogts long range bombs, a pair of inside buckets on the way to a career high night from Desean Munson, with the run being capped by a tough inside shot from Mavrick Gildyard.
The Reivers countered with a 12-0 run within a 16-2 stretch to gain a 22-15 lead at the mid-point but Barton would close out the remaining ten minutes by outscoring Iowa Western 17-8 including Harmon's tip-in.
A trey by Jaheim Holden and a Vogts jumper quickly built a six point edge out of the locker room before the teams sparred the next twelve minutes exchanging the lead multiple times.
Tied at 56, consecutive baskets by Munson and Harmon's seizing a loose ball to score capping a six point spurt put the Cougars out in front but the Reivers wouldn't go down without a fight.
Following a pair of Munson free throws with under five to play for another Barton six point lead, Iowa Western came roaring back with eight straight to claim a 66-64 lead hovering around the two minute mark remaining.
It would be the final points scored for the Reivers until a desperation three-point heave at the buzzer as Barton put on the defensive clamps and came up with big rebounds down the stretch.
Barton got the equalizer on a Holden bucket then came up with a defensive stop before the play of the game occurred as Gildyard secured a big offensive rebound on the Cougars' end of the floor. Getting fouled on the rebound, Gildyard's pair of free throws put the Cougars on top for good with 1:40 to play.
Barton however left the door open down the stretch in converting just 1-of-4 from the free throw line before Harmon provided what would eventually be the difference maker in sinking a pair of charity tosses with two seconds on the clock. The Reivers drained a long distance trey at the buzzer but fell two points short on the scoreboard.
Points in the paint and second chance points gave the Cougars' the edge in holding off the Reivers with sixteen of Barton's thirty-five boards coming on the offensive glass in winning the rebound battle by nine.
Munson led all players with a career high night of twenty-three points and fifteen rebounds, grabbing eight on the offensive glass, to post his second double-double performance of the year. Harmon produced in big moments of the game with fourteen points to go along with six rebounds and three assists with Vogts providing a 3-for-6 outside punch to add eleven points. Gildyard reached double-figures for the third straight game in adding twelve points as Holden fell a point shy of the double-digit scoring column with nine points but dished out a team high four assists.
Kaleb Thornton paced four Reivers in double figures with seventeen points and a team high four assist with Caleb Huffman finishing with sixteen points and Josiah Strong and Jalen Dalcourt each contributing eleven each.