Late second half surge lifts No. 9 Cougars to 84-82 comeback win
After four days of practice and a month off from competition, the Barton Community College men’s basketball team escaped with a 84-82 win over Missouri State University-West Plains Tuesday at the Sonic Shootout in Chanute, Kansas. Trailing for most of the game, an 11-0 run late in the contest overcame a hot shooting West Plains team that knocked down sixteen three-pointers to hold a thirty-three point scoring differential from long distance. Barton improves to 13-0 on the season and will play Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. against Paris Junior College to wrap up non-conference action.
The Cougars trailed by eight points midway through the first half until a 10-0 run gave Barton its first lead with 3:29 to play. Neosho outscored the Cougars 11-8 including draining three of its seven first half three-pointers the rest of the half to take a 37-36 lead to the break.
In a game featuring fifteen lead changes and six ties, the Cougars erased a five-point deficit with 5:33 to play by going on a 11-0 run to take a 79-73 lead with 3:12 remaining. Turon Parker, who scored seventeen of his team leading twenty points in the second half, scored nine points in that stretch to key the run including a game tying three-pointer. The Cougars increased the lead to six but needed a pair of Andell Cumberbatch free throws late to seal the win as West Plains' Devaugntah Williams banked in a deep trey at the buzzer for the final 84-82 score.
In addition to Parker's twenty points, three other Cougars reached double figures in scoring. Algie Key, who scored twelve first half points finished with nineteen to go along with nine rebounds including six from the offensive glass. Andell Cumberbatch scored nineteen with seven rebounds and Raphael Stephens had a solid night with ten points and nine rebounds.
West Plains' Williams led all scorers with twenty-four points including six-of-ten from behind the arc. Arroyo Edward's five treys contributed to his twenty-one points while Desmond Buerge and Keaton Jackson scored thirteen and ten points respectively.
The Cougars shot 45% for the game but West Plains sizzled all night shooting 52% including sixteen-of-thirty two from long distance. Barton dominated the boards forty-nine to thirty-one including twenty-two on the offensive end.