No. 21 Cougars put up sixty-three second half points in 107-79 win over Pratt #GoBarton

The No. 21 ranked Barton Community College men's basketball team erased a halftime deficit by scoring sixty-three second half points to blow out Pratt Community College 107-79 Saturday night at the Barton Gym. Outscoring the Beavers by twenty-nine points in the final frame, six players reached double-digits with two posting a double-double as the Cougars won their fourth straight in the series improving to 13-2 on the season and staying tied atop the standings at 9-2 while dropping Pratt to 3-8 and 6-9 on the year. Next up for the Cougars will be a Wednesday trip to southeast Kansas to take on third place and No. 18 ranked Coffeyville Community College (8-3, 12-3) in a 7:30 p.m. tip at Nellis Hall Gymnasium.

Elijah Ford led the Cougars with his fourth double-double of the season by scoring fifteen of his nineteen in first half action and finishing with a career high twelve rounds in twenty-five minutes of action. Marvin Cannon had another solid all-around game with sixteen points on 60% shooting while accounting for a team leading three blocks and four steals. Limited by early foul trouble, Kawanise Wilkins made the most of his twenty-two minutes of action with seventeen points in part to 3-of-4 beyond the arc and seven rebounds while conference leading assist man Keshon Montague dished out eight dimes while adding fifteen. Kian Dalyrimple provided a big spark off the bench with 3-of-5 shooting beyond the arc for fourteen points and grabbing a career high eleven for the New York freshman's first collegiate double-double. Noah Webster, who knocked down two early second half treys to counter Pratt's attack out of the locker room, finished with twelve points to round out the double-digit scoring.

Pratt's Asem Johnson led all scorers with a monster twenty-four point eighteen rebound effort while also coming up with four steals. Going 4-of-9 from beyond the arc, James Brooks scored fourteen, Dawson Gunter added twelve with a team high eight dimes, and Kolby Holmberg added eleven in part to 3-of-4 long range shooting.

The Beavers came out red hot from the floor knocking down two three-pointers in the first three minutes to build an eight point lead. Barton would chip away at the lead, substituting frequently as Head Coach Craig Fletchall searched for a combination to offset the Beavers. Four minutes later the magic began to work getting an Akeem White inside bucket and Montague trey to draw within four before Brooks knocked down the Beavers third of twelve three-pointers of the night to momentarily stop the run. Back-to-back Ford buckets followed by consecutive offensive rebound put-backs by Kannen Haist sparked the Cougars to their first lead a 22-21 with 9:18 remaining. The teams battled back and forth for the final nine until Holmberg canned the eighth long range shot of the half for Pratt as the Beavers' 50% shooting behind the arc carried a one point lead to the break.

Another Brooks trey followed by a Johnson bucket in the paint quickly took the lead to six out of the locker room. Consecutive Webster long range bombs and a Montague fast break jumper took over the next minute giving Barton a four point lead but the pesky Beavers kept coming after the Cougars. Rattling off four straight to grab a four point lead with twelve minutes, Pratt would be shutout for the next two minutes while Barton seized command with a 12-0 run.

Dalyrimple began the run with a three-point play before Wilkins stole the show with three consecutive triples. Following a Johnson jumper, Wilkins bucket led a 13-1 spurt as Dalyrimple buried three treys with Cannon's two-hand dunk among the mix pushing the Barton lead to eighteen. The Cougars closed out the remaining 6:29 surrendering just three field goals while tacking on sixteen more points being concluded with White's dunk with thirty seconds left for the final margin.

Other Game Notes:

• Barton's victory was the fourth straight in the series and third in a row at the Barton Gym
• Barton now leads the overall series 72-29 and 39-9 on their home floor
• The 107 points was the second highest scoring game this season, second to the 110 versus Sterling, and the fourth time the Cougars have eclipsed the century mark
• Barton posted season second best numbers in: field goal attempts (81), rebounds (55), and assists (20)
• On the flip side, Pratt put up the most made field goal and attempts (31-of-75) and dished out the most assists with twenty-four; second most three-point made (12), attempted (35)
• Barton fouled a season low twelve times, resulting in the leads made and attempted free throws by the Beavers (5-of-7)
• Since scoring five points in Barton's blowout season opening victory, Kawanise Wilkins has scored in double-figures each of the next fourteen games