Barton men buries Brown Mackie early, cruises to 86-72 victory

Bouncing back from a disappointing and uninspiring loss on Friday, the Barton Community College men's basketball team scored the first twelve points setting the tone in the 86-72 victory Saturday night over Brown Mackie College.   Splitting the weekend games at the Barton Gym of the Best Western Booster Club Thanksgiving Classic, the Cougars wrapped up non-conference play improving to 8-3.  Barton will now turn attention to the rugged Jayhawk Conference grind opening with consecutive road games beginning Wednesday at Pratt Community College followed by a Saturday trip Butler Community College.

Consecutive three-balls from Derek Dorn and a dunk by Dequandre Dentmond began the contest as the Cougars would build a twelve point lead in the first four minutes.   The Lions clawed their way back in it drawing to within four at the midway point before Barton stretched it back out with an 8-0 run on a Mangisto Deng jumper and back-to-back threes by Ezekiel Charles.   The Cougars would lead by sixteen at the break and not let the Lions any closer than eight points late in the contest.

Dentmond's career high twenty-four points led four Cougars in double-figures.  Going 12-of-13 from the charity stripe, Dorn added twenty-one while also knocking down 3-of-6 from behind the arc.  Recording his first career double-double, Charles was also lights out at the free throw line going 8-of-9 posting career highs with nineteen points and thirteen rebounds.  John Barbee made the most of only his second start of the season scoring twelve points while leading the team with three assists and three steals.

Majak Wenyin came off the bench to lead Brown Mackie with eighteen points while Nygel Jones and Kevin Loving contributed sixteen and twelve respectively.

In the earlier men's matchup, Clarendon College left Great Bend with two victories controlling both halves of play cruising to an 81-62 defeat of Northwest Kansas Technical College.