BY MIKE MARZOLF
Special to the Tribune
DODGE CITY — Not every win during the Barton’s now 5-game winning streak has been pretty. There were a pair buzzer-beaters in there and another close win.
But Wednesday night at Dodge City, for the most part, the Cougars were in control most of the way.
Barton left Dodge City with an 85-69 win.
The Cougars (15-2, 6-2 Jayhawk) have won five games in a row. Barton is alone in second after Hutchinson (6-3) lost 70-69 at home. Seward (14-3, 7-1) leads the West.
“Road wins in conference are not easy,” Coach Craig Fletchall said. “Anytime you get one, you have to be happy.”
Barton trailed 10-4 when Leondre Washington started a 9-0 run with 3-pointer and capped it with a jumper to put Barton up 13-10.
An Akeem White fast break dunk on an assist from Diovante Caldwell gave Barton a 17-13 lead with 12:16 left in the first half.
White followed with a trey and another basket in the paint to make it 22-13 with 11 minutes to play in the half and cap the
Cougar’s second 9-0 run of the half as the Cougars started to take control.
The lead hit double figures with eight minutes to go on a bucket by Caldwell for a 29-18 lead.
Barton kept a comfortable lead the remainder of the half until a late Dodge City run following a technical foul on White got the halftime margin down to 38-35.
Washington and Elijah Ford combined to play 17 minutes in the opening half due to foul issues. Those two were key to an early run in the second half for Barton.
After Dodge tied it at 38, Washington knocked down a deep 3-pointer and let a boisterous Dodge City student section know it.
Ford followed with a bucket and Barton was off on a 9-0 run – the third such run of the game for the Cougars – to take a 47-38 lead.
Washington and the Dodge student section, comprised mostly of football players, continued to banter as the sophomore point guard buried another trey after Dodge got the down to five.
Dodge City would not seriously challenge the Cougars again.
“The second half we played much better with the lead,” Coach Fletchall said. “We were able to play with the lead and get some separation.
“In the first half we let them back in it. In the second half we didn’t do that.”
The lead reached 14 on a couple of occasions. A Martin Vogts putback in the lane, then steal and assist on a dunk by Caldwell gave Barton a 74-58 lead with 4:36 to play and all but put Dodge City to bed.
Washington had one final finger to the lips, shushing the student section when he departed with less than two minutes to play and Barton in control.
Ford finished with 23 points in 27 minutes for the Cougars. He just missed a double-double with nine boards as well.
Washington and Caldwell each added 13 while Vogts scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and had four steals.
DeMarcus Morris, who joined the Cougars at semester, grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Cougars.
Jyrus Freels led Dodge City with 29 points and 14 rebounds.
Next is a date with Colby at the Barton Gym Saturday night. Colby (10-8, 5-4) rolled to an easy win over Northwest Tech 82-58. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
BARTON 85, DODGE 69
Barton 38 47 – 85 Dodge 35 34 – 69
BARTON (15-2, 6-2)—Vogts 5-9 0-0 11, Washington 5-12 0-0 13, Ford 10-16 3-6 23, Caldwell 6-14 1-2 13, White 4-7 1-2 10, Johnson 1-3 0-0 2, Hunt 1-1 0-0 2, Bryson 1-2 1-2 3, Enneking 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 1-5 0-0 2, Amandio 1-1 0-0 2, Morris 2-4 0-3 4. Totals – 37-74 6-15 85.
DODGE (7-11, 2-7)--Mency 1-8 0-0 3, Hill 2-4 1-4 5, Seniguar 4-8 0-0 12, Howard 1-9 6-6 8, Burns 0-5 1-2 1, Edwards 0-0 0-0 0, Tinker 1-4 2-3 4, Haley 1-3 0-0 3, Bryant 0-1 0-0 0, Petrakis 1-3 1-2 4, Freels 12-15 5-7 29. Totals 23-60 16-24 69.
3-pointers – Barton 5-18 (Washington 3-7, White 1-1, Vogts 1-5, Morris 0-1, Caldwell 0-2), DC 7-25 (Senigaur 4-7, Petrakis 1-2, Haley 1-3, Mency 1-7, Hill 0-1, Howard 0-1, Tinker 0-1, Bryant 0-1, Burns 0-2). Rebounds – Barton 48 (Morris 15), Dodge 36 (Freels 14). Assists–Barton 11 (Caldwell 5), DC 15 (Hill 6). Steals – Barton 12 (Vogts 4), DC 4 (Petrakis 2). Blocks–Barton 5 (Morris 2), Dodge 5 (5 with 1).
Turnovers – Barton 12, DC 18. Fouled Out – Howard, DC. Technical – White, Barton.
JAYHAWK WEST MEN
Seward County 7-1 14-3
Barton 6-2 15-2
Hutchinson 6-3 15-3
Colby 5-4 10-8
Garden City 3-6 8-10
Dodge City 2-7 7-11
NW Tech 1-8 9-9
Pratt 1-8 8-10
JAYHAWK EAST MEN
Coffeyville 9-1 18-2
Independence 6-3 11-7
Butler 6-4 13-6
Allen County 4-4 12-5
Neosho County 4-5 11-8
Cowley 4-6 12-8
Cloud County 4-6 10-9
MONDAY
Barton 87, Pratt 86
Butler 86, Cloud 77
Coffeyville 90, Cowley 60
Dodge City 82, Colby 79
Hutchinson 85, NW Tech 78
Independence 56, Neosho 51
Seward 90, Garden City 69
WEDNESDAY
Barton 85, Dodge City 69
Butler 88, Allen 78
Coffeyville 99, Cloud 85
Colby 82, NW Tech 58
Cowley 87, Neosho 80
Garden City 70, Hutchinson 69
Seward 80, Pratt 63
SATURDAY
Allen at Coffeyville
Colby at Barton
Cowley at Cloud
Dodge City at Seward
Garden City at NW Tech
Independence at Butler
Pratt at Hutchinson
