Trading points for most of Saturday evening's action on Hall of Fame Day at the Barton Gym, the Barton Community College men's basketball team pulled ahead for good with seven minutes remaining to register a 97-89 victory over Hutchinson Community College.
As neither team could hold a lead for very long in the previous thirty-three minutes, a key 6-0 run under seven minutes to play in the midst of a 10-3 stretch erased a deficit in turn for a six point lead with 5:15 remaining.
Barton's first season sweep over Hutchinson since the 2014-15 campaign, Barton improves to a fourth place standing of 9-6 and 14-7 on the year with the Blue Dragons slipping into eight place at 8-8 and 14-8 overall.
The Cougars make the long trip to Independence Community College on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
Cougar Downing, playing with a heavy heart following a brother's passing Friday night, led all scorers with a season high 28 points including twelve points in the opening minutes helping Barton jump out to a 16-5 lead by the 16:26 mark.
Joining Downing in double figures, Aime Rutayisire continued to play well in the absence of Joseph Locandro, tying his career high 17 points for his third straight double figure game while adding 6 rebounds. Ring Malith canned a pair of treys coming off the bench for 12 points.
Two Cougars had solid all-around floor games in contributing 11 points each, Mozae Downing-Rivers adding 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals to his stat line while Hannes Saar added 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and a pair of steals.
Statistically, both teams pounded the offensive boards for a combined 35 rebounds on the offensive end as Barton's plus-14 in the paint helped offset Hutchinson's plus-11 second chance points.
Following Barton's largest lead of eleven, Hutchinson fired back with a 15-3 stretch to grab its first lead at 20-19 with 11:33 to play.
Trading multiple four point surges, Hutchinson would push their advantage out to eight with 5:21 left in canning their 5th triple of the half.
The Cougars rattled off the next four, later going on a 6-0 run getting four from Malith to tie it at 40.
Hutchinson's one point halftime 45-44 lead evaporated in the opening minute of the second half after consecutive Rutayisire buckets.
Matching the tone all evening, the teams essentially traded points the next twelve minutes with the final of 11 ties coming at 75-all with 7:08 remaining.
The Cougars converted a pair of 1-of-2 trips to the free throw line, adding buckets by Saar and Downing, in gaining the separation they needed in piecing the pivotal two minute, 6-0 stretch together.
The gap closed to within four for the final time with 3:49 to play but Downing canned his second triple of the game from way beyond the arc giving Barton more breathing room.
Sinking 27-of-40 from the free throw line for the game, Barton sealed the victory with 7-of-8 shooting at the stripe in the final ninety seconds, growing a then-six point difference to as much as
eleven with twenty-two seconds remaining.
Jayden Garrison led Hutchinson with 19 points, Antonio Green came off the bench for a 18 points and a team high 8 rebounds while Aaron Potter contributed 13 points and 7 rebounds in a reserve role. Aaron Franklin added 11 points behind a pair of triples.