Barton drops another close contest; Colby earns 84-81 win
The Barton County Community College men's basketball team dropped back-to-back games for the 3rd time this season, falling at home to Colby by an 84-81 score in a battle of Top 20 teams. The No. 13 Trojans made the plays down the stretch to earn the win over the No. 20 Cougars. The loss drops Barton to 8-4 in the Jayhawk West and 20-6 overall. Colby is now 9-4 in the West as well and 22-4 overall. Hutchinson is now alone atop the conference with a 9-3 record. The Cougars will play at Hutch Wednesday.

Highlights
The lead changed hands 31 times in a back-and-forth affair before Colby's Zane Davis hit a 3-pointer with 4 seconds to play to break the 17th tie of the contest. The Cougars brought the ball down the floor in an effort to get off a 3-pointer and tie the contest, but the Trojans knocked the ball out of bounds with less than 1 second to play. The Cougars desperation 3-pointer missed at the buzzer and gave Colby the road win.

Colby took a 5-point halftime lead thanks to struggles by the Cougars from the field, hitting just 39 percent. Colby, meanwhile, hit 50 percent from the floor in the opening half against the top defense in the West. The Trojans were limited in the 2nd half to just 35 percent but and just 29 percent from 3-point land. But Colby did knock down the 3 that won the contest.

Barton was led by JP Batista with 25 points and 12 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Rone Smith with 18, Justin Rose with 15, and Aubrey Bruner with 10. Colby's Ontario McKee led the way for the Trojans with 22, followed by EJ Drayton with 21. Branden Miller added 18 for the Trojans.

Stats
Stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu/sports

Next
Feb. 18 – at Hutch, 8 pm (Jayhawk West contest at the Sports Arena)

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Check out Barton County Men's Basketball Online at www.bartonccc.edu/sports