Saar's collegiate first helps Cougars knock off 22nd ranked Garden City in conference opener #GoBarton

The Barton Community College men's basketball team opened the conference season Wednesday night with a 91-82 road victory to knock off 22nd ranked Garden City Community College.

The Cougars, who are receiving votes in the latest NJCAA poll, improve to 6-1 on the year in handing Garden City its first loss dropping the Broncbusters to 4-1. Following a six day lay-off, Barton returns to the home floor next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in taking on Cowley College.

For the fifth time of the season Barton knocked down ten three-pointers in a contest, Cougar Downing leading the way with 4-of-7 shooting for a game high 26 points which also included 8-of-9 shooting from the free throw thrown line.

Posting his first collegiate double-double, Hannes Saar put up 20 points on the night while adding 13 rebounds, five coming off the offensive glass. Joseph Locandro, who buried a pair of treys on the night, also tallied 20 points in just missing his fifth double-double by grabbing 9 rebounds to help Barton to a plus-9 edge on the boards. Mozae Downing-Rivers rounded out the double-digit scoring with 12 points on his birthday behind 2-of-3 long range shooting and dished out a team high 5 assists and five rebounds.

Garden City placed five in double figures, Jaborri McGhee leading the way with 19 points, Aundre Polk and David Elliott each with 16 points, Buru Naivalurua's double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds, and DaJion Humphrye with 10 points.

Barton scored the first five points of the contest, Locandro' opening inside bucket from Saar's first assist followed by Downing's first three pointer. The teams battled back and forth, exchanging mini spurts and flipping the lead until Locandro's triple gave Barton their last advantage of the half with 14:37 remaining. Barton committed 14 fouls to the Broncbusters' six in the first half, sending Garden City to the line twenty-times resulting in a plus-8 edge and a 41-38 lead to halftime.

In addition to the foul mounting, Barton didn't help itself from the field on 36% shooting including just 4-of-17 (23.5%) from behind the arc, but did get a Christian Bowen-Webb trey and Stefan Spray free throw to close the half with the final four points closing the gap to three.

Downing's triple four minutes into second half play gave Barton a brief lead as the teams flip-flopped exchanges like they did in first half action. A layup by Downing would later push the advantage to three with 11:44 to play but the Cougars were held scoreless in the next two minutes while Garden City took the next eight for a two point lead.

Following Downing-Rivers' triple to stop the Broncbuster run, Garden City answered with their own triple and eventually built a seven point lead with 6:25 left. A pair of Downing free throws and four points from Saar including a transition dunk sliced the deficit but Naivalurua's jumper kept the home team ahead for the last time.

Coming off the bench for just six minutes in the contest, Howard Johnson delivered one of the big shots of the night in canning his lone triple tying the game with 3:59 remaining. Following a missed Garden City trey and a subsequent flopping technical foul, Downing's free throw and Saar's slash to the hole put the Cougars in front for good. A minute later following a Garden City 1-of-2 trip to the line, Barton controlled the remaining 2:09 and final eight points of the night in snapping a two-game losing streak to the Broncbusters.