The Barton Community College men's basketball team picked up its third conference road victory roaring back from an early eleven point deficit to win 80-72 at Allen County Community College Saturday afternoon in Iola, Kansas. The Cougars erased a five point halftime deficit with nine straight within a 16-4 stretch in the opening seven minutes of second half action building a ten point lead with late free throws sealing the eight point victory. The fifth straight win improves Barton to 4-0 in conference play and 12-3 on the season while dropping Allen County to 1-4 and 9-6 overall. The Cougars will open the home portion of the 2016 schedule this Wednesday as Independence Community College comes to the Barton Gym for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
The Cougars took five minutes to shake off the holiday rust roaring back from a ten point deficit with a 13-5 stretch climbing back into the contest by the first half media timeout. The Red Devils responded with runs of eight and seven straight building its largest lead of eleven with three minutes to play. Tyrone Acuff worked hard to connect on a tough jumper sandwiched between two Derek Dorn treys in midst of Barton 8-0 run to close out the first half trailing 37-32.
Drawing to within two for the second time, an Allen trey grew the lead back out to five before Ezekiel Charles and Anthony Smith scored consecutive baskets with Smith's offensive rebound put-back tying the contest for the first time with 15:27 to play. As the teams traded buckets, a Dorn long two-pointer followed by converting a steal and layup gave Barton its first lead coming with fourteen minutes to play at 48-46. John Barbee then picked up the action going on a personal five point run sinking a pair of free throws then converting a hoop-n-harm leading the Cougars on 9-0 run and 16-6 start to the second half claiming a 53-46 lead 13:13 left.
Leading by six at the media timeout, the Cougars got a little sloppy taking care of the ball and missed multiple free throws allowing Allen County to hang within striking distance. The Red Devils with a 6-0 run behind a pair of treys would get as close as three but Barton would refocus at the line sinking its free throws in the final 1:30 to earn its fifth straight victory.
Dorn led four Cougars in double-digit scoring reaching the twenty point mark for the fourth time this season scoring twenty-one points. Workhorse Dequandre Dentmond, who came up with big shots and free throws throughout the night, finished with fifteen. Barbee finished with a career high thirteen points including a transition dunk early sparking the Cougars' comeback while Keith Mack exceeded the double-digit scoring mark for the tenth time finishing with eleven points.