23rd ranked Cougars clinch first round bye and home court with 84-65 win over Colby #GoBarton

Leading for all but the first three minutes Saturday at the Barton Gym, the 23rd ranked Barton Community College men's basketball team took care of business in running away with an 84-65 victory over Colby Community College.

Breaking a 2-all tie, the Cougars' 17-4 stretch over the next five minutes gained separation then used a 14-2 second half run to eventually lead by 32 points midway through the final period before coasting to its sixth straight win of the series.

Locking up a top four conference standing, Barton improves to 16-7 and 21-8 on the season while dropping Colby to 2-21 in league and 5-24 overall.

Barton will put its season long six-game win streak on the line Wednesday in a 7:30 p.m. tip at 15th ranked Dodge City Community College to conclude the regular season.

Having secured a first round bye and quarterfinal home game on March 7, the trip to Dodge City provides an opportunity for the Cougars to finish in 3rd place of the standings with a win or finish fourth with a loss while the Conquistadors will be seeking an outright conference title.

Giving way to a sophomore starting lineup, freshman Cooper Jackson came off the bench to lead ten Cougars in scoring with 16 points including four dunks while adding eight steals to his nation leading total. Cougar Downing dropped four behind the arc in a 14 point night with cousin Mozae Downing-Rivers adding 8 points and dishing out 8 dimes to solidify his region lead. Joseph Locandro led Barton's plus-8 rebound edge with a game high 8 rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

Joshua OGarro led Colby with 19 points, Mike Bell added 16 points and a team leading 6 rebounds, with Anthony Sellas finishing with 14 points.

The Cougars matched their season high with 12 three-pointers, Downing and Downing-Rivers combining for four of the team's seven first half arc busters helping Barton out to a 27-9 lead with eight minutes remaining in the first half. Amiri Ndayisaba canned his lone trey in Barton's 17-4 stretch to break open the lead, Aime Rutayisire dropping just his third triple of the year, and Ring Malith capping the first half scoring with his lone trey of the afternoon putting Barton up fourteen at the halftime break.

Colby was able to draw within ten coming out of the locker room behind a pair of three-pointers, Hannes Saar's layup followed by consecutive Jackson transition baskets pushing the margin back out.

Following a Trojan jumper, Jackson came up with a pair of steals helping spark a ninety second 8-0 spurt to further dash the hopes of the visitors.

Barton went on another quick spurt following a pair of Colby free throws, knocking down a trio of arc busters, the first from Downing with two more raining down on consecutive trips from Christian Bowen-Webb for the largest lead of 32 with 9:46 left. Three minutes later Bowen-Webb closed out his 9 point afternoon on another trey with Stefan Spray wrapping up Barton's scoring on a perfect pair of charity tosses in finishing with 6 points.

Game Notes:
- Team's 12th made three-pointers matched season high set February 8 versus Cloud County
- 10th time of season making 10 or more three-pointers

Record Book Watch and Impacts:
Cougar Downing
- 6th best single game free throw shooting (12-12 *Already has program 3rd best 13-13 performance last season)
- 4th in made career free throws (244 *10 from Ebi Ere's 254 total from 1999-01 seasons)
- 2nd in career 3-pt attempts (445 *21 from Mark Bell's 466 total from the 1989-91 seasons)
- 3rd in career made 3-pt (157 *11 from Chip Steven's 168 total from the 2007-09 seasons)
- 7th in career FG attempts (841 * 23 from Eric Bush's 864 total from the 1999-01 seasons)
- 9th in career scoring (1089 148 from Eric Bush's 1103 total from the 1999-01 seasons)