Barton loses West home game to Cloud in overtime

Barton loses West home game to Cloud in overtime

The Barton Community College men's basketball team continued its woes on its home floor, losing another Jayhawk West overtime contest Wednesday night. Barton lost to Cloud County 70-63 in an extra session, the 2nd conference game Barton has lost in overtime on its home floor and 3rd overtime loss at home this season. The Cougars – winners of 3 straight West games on the road - have dropped 2 of their last 3 at home. Barton is now 17-6 overall and 5-4 in the West while Cloud improved to 15-7 and 5-3. Barton is back at home Saturday to take on the leader in the West. Seward County will bring a 20-3 record to the Barton Gym with an 8-1 West record and a No. 16 NJCAA ranking. It will be Homecoming night for the Cougars.  

Highlights
The Cougars struggled to make shots during the contest, especially in the final 15 minutes of play. The Cougars led nearly the entire contest but never by more than 7 points before a late Barton drought allowed the Thunderbirds to take their first lead of the game with 3 minutes to play. The Cougars fell behind 55-52 before Storm Sanders hit 3 free throws with 57 seconds left to tie the game. The Cougars had a chance to win the game in regulation but Colin Beatty missed a jumper and Adam Young a desperation 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer.

The Cougars got the lead to start overtime – hitting 4 free throws for a 59-55 lead. That would be Barton's final points until 24 seconds remained and Kevin Barber tipped in a bucket to cut Cloud's lead to 67-61. By then, it was too late for the Cougars.

The culprit for the Cougars was simply the inability to put the ball through basket from the field. Barton went the final 8:29 of regulation without a field goal. Dwayne Brunson hit a jumper at the 8:29 mark to give Barton a 48-45 lead which grew to five the next trip when Jalen Boyd hit 2 free throws for a 50-45 with 7:52 left. Barton would go 0-for-8 from the floor in the final 8 minutes with a pair of turnovers. Sanders hit 2 free throws to give Barton a 52-48 lead with 5:22 left then added the 3 free throws with just less than one minute to play for Barton's only points the rest of regulation.

It didn't get better in overtime either. Sanders and Boyd combined to go 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the opening minute of regulation but that is where it stopped. Barton proceeded to miss 8 more in a row in overtime before the Barber tip in. Combined, the Cougars went 0-fo-16 from the field over a stretch of 13 minutes.

Brunson led Barton with 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Sanders and Boyd each added 11 but mostly thanks to free throws hitting a combined 14-of-17. The Cougars connected on 18-of-23 free throws. But from the field it was a different story. Barton hit 21-of-65 from the field and an even chillier 9-of-39 in the 2nd half and overtime. Richard Carter led 4 T-Birds in double figures with 17. Mohamed Fall finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Barton will get a red-hot Seward team riding into the Barton Gym Saturday on an 8-game winning streak. The Saints haven't lost in West play since the conference opener at then No. 1 ranked Hutchinson by 5. Seward just avenged that loss with an 86-76 win Wednesday night in Liberal.  

Stats
Stats can be found was www.bartonsports.com  

Next
Feb 5 – v Seward 8 pm (Jayhawk West game at the Barton Gym in Great Bend)