The 25th ranked Barton Community College men's basketball team had contributions throughout the lineup Tuesday evening at the Barton Gym eclipsing the century mark for the second time this season in a 104-57 rout over the junior varsity squad of Kansas Wesleyan.
The Cougars rode an explosive 18-2 run from the 15-minute mark to the midway point of the opening half and never let up, accumulating a 46-24 halftime lead that later expanded itself to a 52 point margin and final count of 47.
Improving to 4-0 on the season, the Cougars continue their four-game home stretch this weekend in the Best Western/Booster Club Classic. Barton opens up play Friday against Clarendon College then takes on McCook Community College on Saturday. The Cougars open up conference play next Wednesday hosting Garden City Community College. Tip-off time for each of the three contests is 7:30 p.m. with full audio and video coverage found at www.BartonSports.com.
Barton shot a blistering 54.9 percent from the field as five players ended in double figures led by Evans Kipruto's second double-double performance of the year in scoring a game high 19 points, 11 of which coming in the second half, and game high 11 rebounds.
The Barton scoring remained balanced as reigning KJCCC/NJCAA player of the week Cougar Downing added 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting from behind the arch. Freshman Trey Rolfs ignited the Cougars early in the contest pacing the bench scoring with 12 of his 15 points coming in the opening stanza behind 7-of-9 shooting. Joseph Locandro recorded a career high 13 points connecting on 2-of-3 triples while collecting six boards. Hannes Saar rounded out the double figure scoring with 10 points. Despite not finding the scoring column, Josh Jordan made his presence known dishing out a game high eight assists.
The Cougars outscored the Coyotes 52-29 off the bench with a 26-0 advantage on the fast break generated by 16 KWU turnovers.
KWU concluded the contest with two players reaching double digit scoring as Aaron King scored 12 on 4-of-9 shooting followed by Gabe Phillips 11 points off the bench.
RECAP
Knotted up at 8-8 five minutes into the contest, four Cougars contributed to an 18-2 run over the next five minutes grasping the lead for the rest of the evening. A Modibo Sanogo flush ensued by one of four Rolfs layups during the stretch backed by a Keith Robinson trey and five from Locandro ballooned Barton's lead to 26-10.
Approaching the final three minutes of the opening half, a Locandro trifecta, Downing jumper and Rolfs bucket closed a 6-2 run leading the Cougars into the halftime break leading 46-24.
Barton cranked it up in the opening four minutes of the second half stretching the lead to 32 on back-to-back slam jams by Saar and De'Antray Hughes topped by four straight from Kipruto and a Downing layup capped the 10-0 run.
Walker Moore put Barton over the century mark with his first bucket as a Cougars doubling up the Coyotes shadowed by Robinson's fast break lay in suppling Barton its largest lead of 52 with two-minutes to play.