Barton keeps record perfect with pair of wins in the Pizza Hut Classic
The Barton County Community College men's basketball team won a pair of games over the weekend at the Pizza Hut Classic at the Barton County Gym. Barton won the 1st night, jumping to an early lead and rolling to a 106-83 win over Air Force Prep. Barton had a tougher test Saturday, trailing at halftime before earning an 84-76 win over Carl Ablert (Okla). The wins moved Barton to 3-0 overall this season. The Cougars will be back in action Saturday when they tangle with the preseason No. 1 ranked team in the country – Midland (Texas) – Saturday in Hutchinson. The game will tip at 3:30 at the Sports Arena.
Highlights
Barton shot 61 percent from the floor in the win over Air Force Prep as the Cougars built a double-digit lead early in the contest, leading by as many as 28 in the opening half. The Huskies cut that lead to 17 by halftime but the Cougars found their stride again in the 2nd half, pushing the lead to as many as 30 before winning by the 106-83 margin.
The Cougars were led by Ivan Evans with 27 points – one off his career high. Omar Johnson had a big night as well, tossing in 18 points and delivering 14 assists from his point guard spot. Johnson's 14 assists were the 6th highest in school history.
In Saturday's win, the Cougars fell behind by as many as 16 points midway through the opening half before cutting the lead to just 6 at 38-32 at halftime. Barton took the lead in the early stages of the 2nd half and held that lead throughout the remainder of the game. The Cougars built that lead to as high as 14 with just more than 6 minutes to play. Barton maintained that double digit lead most of the final 6 minutes.
Evans was able to eclipse his career high Saturday, passing it on a flying breakaway dunk late in the game. Evans ended the night with 31 points and ended just 1 rebound shy of a career mark with 14. It was his 6th double double at Barton. Johnson also set a career high in his 1st season at Barton, scoring 23 to go with 8 assists. Chris Jackson also found double digits with 12.
Stats
Full stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu/sports
Next
Sat, Nov 11 – v No. 1 Midland (Texas), 3:30 pm (at the Sports Arena in Hutchinson)
-30-
Check out Barton County Basketball Online at www.bartonccc.edu/sports