The Barton Community College men's basketball team channeled a strong first half-shooting performance Saturday afternoon inside the Barton Gym earning a blowout 103-80 victory over Pratt Community College.
The victory marks the fourth straight for the Cougars improving their conference mark to 5-4 and season record to 6-4 while Pratt suffers its' second straight defeat falling to 3-8 in KJCCC play and 4-8 overall.
The Cougars will wrap up the two-game homestand Tuesday afternoon in a 3:00 p.m. tip against Neosho County, a makeup contest from its' previous scheduled matchup back on February 13th.
Asanti Price scored a career high 29 points on 6-of-11 shooting from behind the arc to lead four Cougars in double figures. Justin Harmon added 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting including a 7-of-9 day from the charity stripe. Desean Munson collected his second double-double of the year hauling down a game high 12 rebounds to tag with his 14 point performance. Jaheim Holden flirted with a double-double off the bench dishing a game high nine assists while adding a bench high 15 points.
Cam Morris led the three Beavers in double figures adding 15 points in 28 minutes. Harrison Eghan and A.J. Weston added 14 and 11 respectively.
RECAP
Overcoming a 6-2 defect the Cougars never looked back grasping a 12-6 advantage in the course of 10 straight fueled on back-to-back Price and Willie Lapoole 3-pointers. Five straight by the Beavers pulled Pratt to within one the closest they would get 'til the second of Price's six first half triples ignited a 12-2 Barton run soaring the lead back to double digits at 24-13.
Three more Price triples helped stretch Barton's lead out to 43-27 before his buzzer beating sixth triple of the opening stanza led the Cougars into the locker rooms ahead 59-39.
Following a first half-shooting performance of 65.4% from the field and 64.3% from behind the arc, the Cougars cooled off shooting just 50.0% in the second half while connecting on just three outside shots over the final twenty. Rattling off eight of the first 10 points to open the second half Barton stretched the advantage to 26 at 67-41.
Expanding the lead to its' largest of 28 with 12:33 to play, the Beavers mounted one final push clawing back to within 18 at 81-63 during an 11-1 stretch. Six of the next eight went to the Cougars as the gap lengthened back over 20 at 88-65 before settling the final margin at 103-80.