The Barton Community College men's basketball team opened up the season this past weekend with a pair of big margin victories in the Pizza Hut Classic in Liberal, Kansas.

Jumping out to a seventeen point advantage in Friday's opener, the Cougars rolled to an 85-66 victory over Lamar Community College. One day later it was a second half surge leading to victory as Barton outscored NOC-Enid by twenty-two points in winning 99-69.

John Williams had an impressive Cougar debut in shooting 56% from the field including knocking down 46% of three-point attempts, as the Augusta, Georgia, native scored 20 and 19 respectively in the two wins.

One of two returners from last year's Elite 8 team, Elijah Ford led Barton in Friday's victory with twenty-one points with Leondre Washington adding fourteen and a team high six assists. Washington would dish out nine dimes in Saturday's win to go along with fifteen points. Also in double-figures in the thirty-point win were Martin Vogts burying 5-of-8 treys on the way to a nineteen point night while Mavrick Gildyard and Akeem White added twelve points each. White also recorded the Cougars' first double-double of the season and the first of the sophomore from New York's collegiate career in hauling down eleven rebounds.

Barton's next action will come this weekend in the Best Western Cougar Booster Club Classic at the Barton Gym. The Cougars will take on Redlands Community College on Friday before closing out the Classic on Saturday against Spring Creek Academy. Tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. for both contests.