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Cougars improve to 3-0 with sweep at Booster Club Classic
spt CougarHead2C

The Barton men’s basketball flexed its muscle against a pair of Region VI Division II foes this past weekend at the Best Western/Booster Club Classic at the Barton Gym.
The Cougars rolled by Highland the opening night by a 69-54 count then blew out Hesston Saturday night by an 80-54 score.
The sweep keeps Barton unbeaten on the season at 3-0. Hesston is now 1-2 and Highland 1-1.
Barton trailed just twice the entire weekend for a total of just more than three minutes.
“I was pleased with the weekend,” Coach Craig Fletchall said. “You always want more as a coach, but overall I was pleased.
“We just have to remember that we were at home playing games we expect to win. That will change very quickly with the conference starting early this year.”
The win Friday was the 350th of the collegiate career for Coach Fletchall and the win Saturday was the 250th at Barton, where he is the all-time wins leaders.
Friday a 9-0 run gave the Cougars a 9-2 lead and they never trailed again. The Scotties did cut it to one on a couple of occasions – the latest at 16-15 at the midway point of the half. The Cougars would give up just four more points the rest of the half as Barton built a 31-19 halftime lead.
The lead grew to 41-19 following 10-0 run capped by a Malik Rhodes 3-pointer to start the second half. The lead would be at least 14 the rest of the way.
Ezekiel Charles, fresh off a 31-point opener, led Barton again. He nearly pulled off a triple double with 13 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Malik Toppin had a big night as well with 13 rebounds and five blocks to go with six points. Anthony Smith scored 12 off the bench and Charles Norman added 10.
“Malik Toppin help set the tone to start the second half,” Coach Fletchall said. “He changed some shots and pretty much held them to one and done on the boards.”
Saturday Hesston took a brief 12-11 lead before Barton went on a 14-3 run to re-take the lead for good. By halftime it was 39-28. The Cougars outscored Hesston 41-26 the final 20 minutes including a 17-0 run to start the half.
This time is was Rhodes leading the way with 18, hitting 4-of-8 3-pointers. Keeshawn Palmer scored 12 off the bench and finished with a game-high 13 rebounds. John Barbee added 10 off the bench. Palmer and Barbee each had three steals as well.
Jahlil Rawley led Barton with five assists to go with nine points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks.
The Cougars wrap up the non-conference season Wednesday when the Sterling JV comes to the Barton Gym. The Cougars are off to Colby Saturday to start Jayhawk Conference play.

Barton 69, Highland 54
Highland 19 35 54
Barton 31 38 69
Highland (54)
S Jackson 0-12 2-2 2, O’Connor 3-6 3-6 9, English 2-8 4-8 8, Scudder 0-2 0-2 0, Harvey 0-2 0-0 0, Daniels 9-10 3-4 24, A Jackson 0-4 2-4 2, Haskins 1-4 0-0 3, Jasper 1-2 0-0 3, Peabody 1-2 1-2 3, Davis 0-1 0-0 0. Total – 17-54 15-28 54.
Barton (69)
Norman 2-11 5-8 10, Rhodes 2-10 2-2 8, Toppin 3-4 0-0 6, Palmer 3-4 3-4 9, Charles 5-12 2-4 13, Smith 4-10 4-7 12, Rawley 1-6 0-0 3, Haist 2-3 0-0 4, Barbee 0-1 0-0 0, Poole 1-3 0-0 3, Webster 0-0 1-2 1. Totals – 23-64 17-27 69.
3-pointers –Highland 5-22 (Daniels 3-3, Jasper 1-2, Haskins 1-3, Jackson 0-11, English 0-3). Barton 6-29 (Rhodes 2-7, Poole 1-3, Rawley 1-4, Charles 1-6, Norman 1-7, Smith 0-2).
Rebounds –Highland 47 (Daniels 10). Barton 40 (Toppin 13). Assists –Highland 6 (S Jackson, O’Connor 2). Barton 17 (Charles 8). Steals –Highland 3 (Daniels 2). Barton 6 (Toppin 5). Blocks – Highland 1 (Jackson); Barton 6 (Toppin 5).
Turnovers –Highland 18, Barton 10. Fouled out – Scudder, Harvey, Highland; Palmer, Barton. Technicals – Highland Bench.

Barton 80, Hesston 54
Hesston 28 26 54
Barton 39 41 80
Hesston (54)
Ladwig 2-6 0-0 5, Means 2-7 3-4 8, Agnew 1-7 2-2 5, Holt 3-8 2-6 9, Neely 4-5 0-1 8, Campbell 2-5 2-3 7, Comfort 1-4 0-1 2, Buchanon 1-4 0-2 2, Johnson 3-4 0-0 7, Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Harris 0-1 0-0 0. Total – 19-52 9-19 54.
Barton (80)
Norman 4-10 1-1 9, Rhodes 6-11 2-4 18, Rawley 3-7 3-5 9, Smith 2-3 2-4 6, Charles 3-19 1-3 7, Palmer 5-7 2-3 12, Toppin 2-8 3-4 7, Barbee 3-6 3-3 10, Poole 1-2 0-0 2, Webster 0-2 0-0 0, Haist 0-0 0-0 0. Totals – 29-66 16-26 80.
3-pointers –Hesston 7-17 (Neely 1-1, Ladwig 1-2, Means 1-2, Agnew 1-2, Holt 1-2, Campbell 1-2, Johnson 1-2, Smith 0-1, Comfort 0-3). Barton 6-21 (Rhodes 4-8, Barbee 2-3, Norman 0-3, Charles 0-3, Webster 0-1, Toppin 0-1, Poole 0-1, Palmer 0-1).
Rebounds – Hesston 41 (Agnew 9); Barton 43 (Palmer 13). Assists – Hesston 10 (Holt, Campbell, Comfort 2); Barton 9 (Rawley 5). Steals – Hesston 2 (Means, Holt). Barton 15 (Barbee, Palmer 3). Blocks – Hesston 1 (Buchanon); Barton 6 (Rawley, Palmer 2).
Fouls – Hesston 25, Barton 21. Turnovers – Hesston 24, Barton 12. Fouled out – Neely, Hesston. Technicals – Neely, Hesston.

Cougar baseball sweeps Blue Dragons
Barton baseball
A pair of walk-off victories gave the home fans at Lawson-Biggs Field plenty to cheer about on Saturday afternoon as the Barton Community College baseball team completed a doubleheader sweep over No. 20 Hutchinson Community College, winning the opener in run-rule fashion 20-10 in five-innings before completing it in comeback style by a final tally of 9-8. Sophomore Hunter Alvord extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to then seven straight games with a walk-off double in the opening five-inning run rule victory before John Connors sent a Cougar mob around home plate in the nightcap distributing a two-run home run to right center for his second of the game to walk it off. Winning the final three games after dropping the opener, the Cougars improve to 7-1 in league play and 12-4 overall while the Blue Dragons drop their first conference series loss sliding to 4-4 in Jayhawk West play and 17-7 overall. Barton will head back out on the road Monday for a non-conference doubleheader at Southeast Community College. First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from Norfolk Veterans Memorial Baseball Field in Norfolk, Nebraska. The Cougars will return to conference play Thursday hosting Cloud County Community College in the opening two games of a four-game set with the T-Birds. Within Barton's 27 hits on the afternoon, eight left the ballpark headlined by the multi home run performances of Tate Blasi, Hayden Oviatt and Connors while Ayden Hadley and Alvord each contributed with one. Game 1 Recap Tangled in a 1-1 tie heading to the bottom of the second, the Cougar offense exploded sending 14-straight to the plate erupting for a 12-run frame. The first of two Blasi home runs to lead off the inning jumpstarted the scoring with the sophomore adding a three-run bomb batting for the second time in the inning. Two hitters later, Oviatt joined the party driving in two of his game high six RBI performance with the first of his pair of two-run homers in the frame with his second a liner just clearing the fences in left field. Hadley delivered the other big blow in the 12-run second launching his first collegiate grand slam for one of his five hits produced throughout the doubleheader. Not going down without a fight, Hutchinson clawed back scoring nine unanswered over the next three at-bats to pull within three, 13-10 heading to the bottom of the fifth. Held in check over the next two frames, the Barton offense regrouped in the home fifth benefitting behind a pair of Blue Dragon errors and trio of hits creating a seven-run final turn at the plate. Kyle Walker highlighted the second big inning fashioning his second double scoring two with Oviatt knocking in two more on his third hit before scoring on a wild pitch with Alvord's walk-off double for his lone hit of the contest enforcing the run-rule. Starting pitcher Owen Pote (2-2) collected the victory tossing 4.0-innings permitting five runs off six hits with six walks and career high six strikeouts. Cam Bergstrom lasted 0.2-innings in relief surrendering one hit, while tagged on the tough side of two Barton miscues in the fifth leading to five runs (no-earned) with a walk before handing off to Preston Golden for the final out of the fifth. Game 2 Recap Trailing from the start, the Cougars continued to stay within arm's reach on three separate occasions before finally piecing together the final charge in the bottom of the ninth. Needing a run and down to their final two outs, Hadley nearly fashioned the game-tying run with a home run, lacing his fourth hit of the contest with an opposite field triple off the left center field fence putting the tying run 90-feet away. Stepping to the plate with a home run already, Connors answered the call working the count full before sending his second no-doubter out to right center to cap the second comeback victory in as many days and Cougar celebration at home plate. Hit with a 3-0 deficit before coming to bat, Alvord's first inning no-doubter to left center followed by Oviatt's leadoff single in the second scoring on a wild pitch trimmed the Cougars deficit to one, 3-2 after two. Hutchinson added a run in the third and fifth to maintain a 5-2 lead, Connors first of his two big fly's brought Barton back within a run once again at 5-4 through five. Four of the first five Blue Dragon hitters reached base to open the sixth with four runs scoring to extend the Hutchinson advantage to 9-4. Continuing to chip away the Cougars got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on Oviatt's RBI groundout and three more in the seventh off a Hadley RBI double, Gomez RBI fielder's choice and Blasi run producing double drawing back within 9-8 before producing the two-run ninth inning walk-off. Ethan Minaker earned a no-decision going the opening five-innings surrendering five runs over six hits with a walk and two punchouts. Landon Haines (1-0) collected his first career victory overcoming a four run first inning of his four frames worked, finishing strong sending the final nine Blue Dragons down in order. The Cougars outhit the Blue Dragons 12-9 with an 8-6 advantage in extra bases. Hadley turned in a career high four hits, going 4 for 5 with a double, triple and RBI. Connors led the RBI production finishing 2 for 3 with two home runs, four RBIs and pair of walks.
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