In a Wednesday night battle of nationally ranked teams at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, the 6th ranked Cougars of Barton Community College never trailed in opening a twenty-seven point margin before cruising the final eight minutes for a 102-80 win at 14th ranked Hutchinson Community College.
Stringing stretches of twelve straight and eleven straight in first half action, the Cougars led by nineteen points at the break before stretching the margin to its largest following a 7-0 run from the reserve players.
Eclipsing the 100 point total for the second straight game on the Blue Dragons' home floor, the fourth straight win in the series improves Barton to 16-1 overall and tied atop the KJCCC at 10-1 while Hutchinson slides to 9-2 in league and 14-3 on the season.
The Cougars will conclude its' first swing through the Jayhawk Conference Saturday hosting Colby Community College in a 4:00 p.m. tip-off.
Keandre Kindell came off the bench for twenty minutes in producing a career high 22 points leading Barton to a nearly thirty point differential in reserve players.
All 11 suited Cougars hit the scoring column with four others reaching double-digit scoring including hometown product Myles Thompson posting his 4th double-double of the season in scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds in twenty-six minutes.
Cooper Jackson, who added six steals to his outstanding theft career, tacked on 14 points with Christian Bowen-Webb coming off the bench canning three treys leading to an 11 point night.
The squad's season leader in points and rebounds Lajae Jones produced 10 points and 9 rebounds in just missing his 7th double-double of the year.
J.P Ricks led the Blue Dragons in a big night of 22 points and 11 rebounds with a game high 5 assists.
A pair of Barton steals leading to transition layups put the first points on the board in holding the lead for the first six minutes until Hutchinson fought back for the game's lone tie at 10 with 13:46 remaining on the clock.
Ring Malith's lone trey of the night halted the Blue Dragon run and following a Hutchinson inside bucket, the Cougars found their stride rattling off twelve straight over five minutes to build a 25-12 advantage.
The Blue Dragons sliced the deficit to single digits but another sixty second, eleven point stretch by the Cougars doubled up the score 42-22 leading to a nineteen point halftime margin.
Jones, who had scored Barton's previous point before the run, kickstarted the eleven straight with four of his own before Kindell's steal and layup led to a seven point possession.
Intentionally fouled on the drive to the hole, Kindell completed the And-1 conversion and sank an additional charity toss. Gaining possession on the ruling, the Cougars' inbound found Bowen-Webb fresh off the bench for a guarded long distance splash completing the late half surge.
Barton halted any consecutive buckets from Hutchinson for the first twelve minutes of the second half to maintain control.
With the starting lineup exiting the contest, Cougar reserves Fawaz Surakat and Kindell stepped in with consecutive buckets taking Barton to its largest lead of twenty-seven at 76-49.
From there the Blue Dgragons rattled off their first scoring stretch of the second half, with six points slicing the deficit but Barton would ride it out for its second straight twenty-plus win at the Sports Arena.
SERIES NOTES
- Barton has won the last 4 meetings including two straight in Hutchinson
- Hutchinson leads 46-13 at the Sports Arena
- Barton leads the overall series 81-42
Record Book Watch
Cooper Jackson
- 158 career steals *2nd most – 161 behind Eric Bush's 319 (1999-01)