Sometimes it’s all about survival.
The Dodge City Community College Conquistadors kept hanging around and hanging around with the 13th-ranked Barton Cougars on Wednesday evening at Kirkman Activity Center.
Barton was able to survive a second-half comeback bid and held on for an 83-81 victory after Dodge’s Tyson Pickett missed a short-range shot at the basket as the final seconds ticked off the game clock. A putback by Clarence Willard was wiped out as the final buzzer had already sounded.
“Give credit to Dodge for having a chance to tie the game at the buzzer,” Barton head coach Craig Fletchall said. “I felt like we had a thumb in the dam. I just felt like we were holding on and when we’re playing at home against a team that had lost six conference games, we should have played with more confidence on offense.”
Barton (21-3, 7-3) kept pace with the upper echelon in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division after falling to leader Seward County on Saturday. The Cougars own sole possession of second place after Colby lost to Seward Wednesday.
Dodge drops to 15-9, 3-7.
Cougars guard Algie Key shook off a slow start and scored 17 of his team-high 21 points in the second half, including 12 of 14 free throws, when Dodge tried to make its run.
Barton super-sub Dwayne Brunson had a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and another super-sub, Julian Rose, added 13 points and sank 6 of 8 free throws — all of which came in the second half.
Barton’s 41-28 halftime lead dissolved after the break as Dodge slashed the margin to 80-78 after Willard’s NBA-range 3-pointer with 38.7 seconds remaining.
Forced to foul, the Conqs put Barton Kurt Walker at the free-throw line with 37 seconds left. He made the first but missed the second as the Cougars had an 81-78 lead.
Shortly thereafter, Dodge tried to answer on the other end, but Barton’s Dwayne Brunson drew a charging foul on RJ McGhee, giving the ball back to the Cougars.
Rose made 1 of 2 free throws with 30 seconds left for an 82-78 edge, but Pickett, who scored a game-high 22 points, answered with a three-point play on the other end to make 82-81 with 12 seconds left.
Key made 1 of 2 foul shots with 10 seconds left for an 83-81 edge, setting the stage for the Conqs’ final sequence.
Barton hits the road on Saturday night, traveling to Garden City.
GAME NOTES — Dodge head coach Brady Trenkle was not on the Conquistadors bench Wednesday night, serving the second of a two-game suspension. He received two technical fouls and was ejected during their game with Butler last Wednesday. Top assistant Isaac Fontenot-Amedee guided the Conqs.
JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas Jayhawk Community
College Conference
Western Division
At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center
Wednesday
MEN
Barton Community College 83,
Dodge City 81
DODGE CITY (15-9, 3-7)
Clarence Willard 5-12 0-0 13, Chekiel Wright 1-6 0-0 3, Tyson Pickett 8-14 6-8 22, RJ McGhee 5-15 9-11 21, Tony Phillips 5-10 2-5 12, Tyler Hosman 1-2 0-0 2, Jordan Fields 3-3 0-2 8, Tyler Francis 0-10-0 0. Totals 28-63 17-26 81.
BARTON (21-3, 7-3)
Jonathan Pittman 2-6 0-0 4, Kurt Walker 1-7 1-2 4, Algie Key 4-13 13-16, Carl Wallace 4-12 1-2 9, Darius Hill 3-7 0-0 6, Andell Cumberbatch 3-5 0-0 6, Julian Rose 3-3 6-8 13, Turon Parker 0-5 4-4 4, DaVonte Grant 0-0 0-0 0, Dwayne Brunson 6-15 4-6 16. Totals 26-73 29-38 83.
Halftime —Barton 41, Dodge City 28. Three-point goals — Dodge 8-18 (Willard 3-6, McGheee 2-6, Fields 2-2, Wright 1-2, Hosman 0-1, Francis 0-1); Barton 2-15 (Walker 1-5, Rose 1-1, Parker 0-3, Wallace 0-2, Cumberbatch 0-2, Key 0-1). Rebounds — Dodge 45 (Pickett 10, McGhee 8); Barton 45 (
Brunson 16, Key 6). Assists — Dodge 16 (Willard 8); Barton 15 (Parker 5, Key 4). Turnovers — Dodge 18, Barton 6.
