This was exactly the type of game the Barton Community College men’s basketball team needed.
Playing from behind against a talented Hill (Texas) College team that built a 37-34 halftime lead, the Cougars overtook the visitors in the second half and held on down the stretch for a hard-fought 86-75 victory on Saturday night at Kirkman Activity Center. They improved to 10-0 on the season after nailing down their second win in as many days in the Best Western Angus Inn/Cougar Booster Club Classic.
“That’s a heckuva club,” Barton head coach Craig Fletchall said of Hill. “Athletically, they were superior and I thought they played harder than us, but that big stretch in the second half was huge.”
Barton sophomore guard Al Key tied a career high, scoring 36 points. His basket with 5½ minutes left keyed a late Cougars flourish, where they outscored Hill 19-10 down the stretch. Turon Parker converted a three-point play for the Cougars at the 4:47 mark to make it 70-65, and they later stretched their lead to 79-68 after freshman guard Kevin Kuteyi slashed to the basket for a change-of-hands layup and Key hit another jumper and 1 of 2 free throws.
“I told (Barton assistant coach Matt) Hundley when we were down six, like 43-37, that this was good for us,” Fletchall said. “We hadn’t trailed this year and this game had a conference feel to it. It was a game of runs and we had an opponent that had athletes with depth and they weren’t in awe of us at all.
“We need more games like that and obviously, they’re going to come in the next semester (during the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division race). We really want to finish the semester strong. We really do want to finish the non-conference portion of our schedule unbeaten. I think our guys can feel good by going home (for the holidays) without a blemish.”
Key, a 6-4 native of Decatur, Ga., and a third-team National Junior College Athletics Association All-America selection last season, finished 11-for-15 from the field and 14-for-18 from the free-throw line, getting his points in the flow of the uptempo game. Freshman post player Raheem Johnson had 13 points and seven blocked shots for the Cougars, and Kuteyi finished with 11 points.
Barton power forward Rapheal Stephens added eight points and a team-best 11 rebounds.
Hill was led by Tramique Sutherland, who scored 18 points, one of its four players in double figures.
Barton shot 55.6 percent from the floor (30 for 54) and knocked down 7 of 12 3-pointers for 58.3 percent. Parker and Kuteyi each were 3-for-5 on 3s.
The Cougars return to action next weekend at the Highland Classic, playing games on Friday and Saturday.

JUCO BASKETBALL
Best Western Angus Inn/
Cougar Booster Club Classic

MEN

Saturday

At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center

Barton Community College 86,
Hill College 75
HILL COLLEGE (6-4)
    Tramique Sutherland 8-13 0-0 18, Javonte Douglas 6-9 3-3 15, PJ Lockridge 4-9 1-4 12, Katrell Myers 2-4 7-9 11, Andrew Guillory 3-14 0-1 7, Brett Lincoln 2-2 0-0 4, Ante Mioc 1-5 0-0 3, Taylor Luster 1-2 0-0 3, Marcus Burwell 0-5 2-2 2, Tevin Holmes 0-7 0-0 0, Devin Delaney 0-1 0-0 0, Mike White 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-71 13-19 75.
BARTON (10-0)
    Algie Key 11-15 14-18 36, Raheem Johnson 6-11 1-2 13, Kevin Kuteyi 4-7 0-1 11, Turon Parker 3-10 1-2 11, Rapheal Stephens 3-6 2-4 8, Andell Cumberbatch 2-4 1-2 6, Travell Robinson 1-1 0-0 2, John Goodson 0-0 0-0 0, Trey Unrau 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-54 19-29 86.
     Halftime — Hill 37, Barton 34. Three-point goals — Hill 8-21 (Lockridge 3-4, Sutherland 2-3, Guillory 1-5, Luster 1-1, Mioc 1-2, Holmes 0-3, Devin Delaney 0-1, Marcus Burwell 0-2); Barton 7-12 (Kuteyi 3-5, Parker 3-5, Cumberbatch 1-1, Key 0-1). Total fouls — Hill 27, Barton 17. Rebounds-Hill 44 (Lockridge 8), Barton 33 (Stephens 11, Johnson 6, Cumberbatch 5). Assists — Hill 8 (Sutherland 3); Barton 8 (Cumberbatch 2; Kuteyi 2; Parker 2. Turnovers — Hill 18, Barton 14. Blocked shots — Barton 8 (Johnson 5); Hill 4 (Holmes 2).