Johnson, Jackson come up big; Barton moves into Region VI semifinals
The Barton County Community College men's basketball team received a pair of big plays in the closing seconds to send the Cougars into the Region VI semifinals with a 69-66 win over Seward County in quarterfinal play Sunday at Koch Arena in Wichita. The Cougars trailed by a point in the final minute before Omar Johnson and Chris Jackson hit baskets to give the Cougars the lead and the win. The win moves Barton into the semifinals, where the Cougars will tangle for a 3rd time this season with Dodge City. Dodge won the 1st 2 games, winning in Dodge as well as in Great Bend. Tip for the semifinal contest will be at 5 pm.  The other semifinal pits Coffeyville and Cloud County. The winners will meet Tuesday at 8 pm at Koch.

Highlights
Barton led most of the contest and did not lose the lead until midway through the 2nd half. But the Cougars, after bolting to a 16-2 lead, never led by more than 5 from the 9-minute mark of the opening half on. Seward took its 1st lead with 12:51 to play and from that point on, the 2 teams traded the lead 6 times and were tied on 4 occasions.

The 5th lead change of the game came when Nick Burns hit a free throw jumper to give Seward a 66-65 lead with 2:17 to play. After each team came up empty on their next possession, Barton had the ball in the final minute with a chance to take the lead. With the shot clock running down, Omar Johnson hit a high-arching jumper from low on the left baseline over the out-stretch arms of a pair of Saints. The 5-7 sophomore knocked down the shot with 38 seconds to play in the contest.

After the Saints ran the clock down to 13 seconds and using a time out, it was Chris Jackson turn to make a big play. In-bounding from mid-court, Jackson anticipated Nick Burns' in bounds pass, intercepting it and racing to the goal, where he was fouled on the shot with 11 seconds to play. The freshman from Wichita calmly knocked down the shots in his hometown to give Barton the 69-66 lead. The Cougars took advantage of only having committed 5 team fouls to that point, fouled the Saints with just 5 seconds to play. Seward lost control of the ball in the closing seconds, getting only a desperate 3-pointer by Ervin Williams as time ran out.

Johnson and Ivan Evans each scored 16 to pace the Cougars. Johnson also handed out 7 assists, but like the rest of the Cougars, had trouble holding onto the ball, committing 5 turnovers. As a team, Barton turned the ball over 21 times – 14 in the 1st half – converting into 26 Saints points. Thiago Cordeiro scored 13 and grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds. The Cougars outscored Seward 21-2 in bench points, paced by Jackson and Antowine Lamb with 9 each. Barton shot 63 percent from the floor in the game, hitting 27-of-43 shots from the field. In the opening half, the Cougars were an amazing 15-of-21 in the 1st half but it was countered by those 14 turnovers. Michael Tyree scored 28 to pace the Saints in the loss.

Barton and Dodge will now meet a 3rd time with Cougars hoping it is a charm. Barton lost in overtime at Dodge for the Cougars' 1st loss of the season back in January then fell at home to the Conqs, 45-43 in Barton's only home loss this season. The meeting will be 1st in Region VI play since 1982.

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

Next
Monday, March 12 – v Dodge, 5 pm (Region VI semis at Koch Arena in Wichita)

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