COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (BartonSports.com) – The 14th ranked Barton Community College men’s basketball team just couldn’t get over the hump Wednesday night in falling 89-85 at 21st ranked Coffeyville Community College.
Leading by as many as five points in first half action, the Cougars’ final lead would come midway through opening frame as an 11-2 stretch put the Red Ravens in front for good.
Barton hung around the coop throughout the game, but clutch Red Raven shots, including a trio of second-half fade-away jumpers, kept Coffeyville on top of the scoreboard snapping the Cougars’ five-game win streak in the series.
The Cougars conclude the regular season third in the KJCCC standings at 17-7 and 23-7 overall while Coffeyville takes second place at 18-6 improving to 22-8 on the season.
By virtue of its Top-4 conference finish, Barton has a first-round bye in the Region 6/Plains District Tournament and will next play Tuesday, March 11, in a 7:00 p.m. Quarterfinal tip-off against the victor of Saturday’s 6th seeded Colby Trojans hosting 11th seeded Cloud County.
Despite Barton’s 50.8% field goal shooting outperforming Coffeyville’s 47.6% connections, the Red Ravens made up the difference on the glass outrebounding the Cougars by eight including 11 offensive rebounds resulting in a fourteen point difference in second chance points.
Brent Moss grabbed 12 of the Cougars’ 28 total rebounds for game high honors, also leading the squad with 19 points and 2 blocks in posting his 15th double-double performance of the season.
Aris Rodriguez and Eltramon Smith, Jr. each added 16 points on a combined 2-of-3 three-point shooting with Sebastian Muchitsch adding 12 points.
Keandre Kindell led all players with 8 assists and 4 steals while adding 13 points including a long three-pointer late drawing the Cougars to within one with under a minute to play.
On the ensuing possession, Coffeyville’s Trenton Ruth just beat the shot clock providing the Red Ravens’ final heroic play by knocking down a long two-point, fade-away demoralizer pushing the gap back to three with twenty-five seconds remaining.
The Cougars came up empty on their possession resulting in Abdul Kuta’s 1-of-2 trip to the line with eleven seconds left making it a two-possession game completing the Red Ravens’ 22-of-24 performance from the charity stripe.
Rodriguez’ short jumper just a few seconds later cut the margin back to two but Coffeyville broke the Cougars’ pressure leading to a last second lay-in for the final four point victory.
Ruth led all five Coffeyville starters in double-figures with a game high 22 points including draining 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Brian Griffith added 20 points with Justin Tayor and Daniel Ntambwe each adding 12 points and Kuto contributed 10 points.
