Execution down the stretch provided Saturday evening's Region VI Champion with the 20th ranked Barton Community College men's basketball team coming up short 73-69 to Butler Community College.
Arguably the hottest KJCCC team in the past month, the Cougars' nine game win streak ends slipping the Cougars to 24-9 on the year with Butler improving to 25-8 and advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament.
For Barton, the Cougars had the agonizing twenty-four hour wait for the NJCAA Selection Show to learn Sunday evening they were bypassed for an at-large berth in officially ending the season.
Almost a microcosm of its pair of tournament victories, the Cougars unfortunately were on the flip-side of the situation on Saturday as the battle contained fifteen ties and changed leads sixteen times.
Leading by one with three to play, a pair of costly turnovers resulted in a four point deficit with one minute to play. Needing a defensive stop, the Cougars forced a shot clock violation and eight seconds later Hannes Saar baseline two-had flush sliced the gap to two with forty-four seconds left.
A free throw contest ensued for the next six possessions, Butler perfect on their three trips to the line while Mozae Downing-Rivers drained four tosses and Joseph Locandro adding another pair for the Cougars.
With ten seconds left, the Cougar defense forced a turnover on the inbounds in setting up its last quality possession.
Inbounding in front of their bench, Barton found Cougar Downing on the left wing but the potential game winner rimmed out with Butler securing the rebound and tacking on a pair of late free throws for the four-point win.
A pair of Cougars playing their final game led the team in scoring, Locandro pouring in 22 points including a career high three made three-pointers and Downing adding 17 points to end his career as Barton's 6th all-time scorer with 1162 points. Downing-Rivers closed out his freshman campaign with another solid all-around floor game of 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and a game high 6 assists to tie current women's basketball Head Coach Alan Clark for the 8th most assists in program single season history. Ring Malith added his second straight game of 9 points in leading the team with 7 rebounds.
Individual Record Book Impacts
Cougar Downing
- 6th best single game free throw shooting (12-12 *Already has program 3rd best 13-13 performance last season)
- 2nd best single season free throws (87.9% 138-157) *Marvin Stoll 89.3% (108-121)
- 1st in career free throw shooting (85.0% 271-319)
- 2nd in made career free throws (271 *100 from Algie Key's 371 total from the 2011-13 seasons)
- 2nd in career 3-pt attempts (459 *7 from Mark Bell's 466 total from the 1989-91 seasons)
- 3rd in career made 3-pt (161 *7 from Chip Steven's 168 total from the 2007-09 seasons and 22 from Mark Bell's 183 total from the 1989-91 seasons)
- 6th in career FG attempts (885 *22 from Algie Key's 907 total from the 2011-13 seasons)
- 6th in career scoring (1162 *27 from Jackie Jones' 1189 total from the 1987-89 seasons)
Mozae Downing-Rivers
- 8th most single season assists (189 *Tied with Alan Clark's 189 total from 1977-78 season, 11 from Gene Butler's 200 total from 1990-91 season)
Cooper Jackson
- 4th most single season steals (112 *2 from Eric Bush's 114 total from 2000-01 season, 6 from Lamont Roland's 118 total from 1998-99 season, 93 from Eric Bush's record 205 total from 1999-00 season)