For some reason, the run-and-gun Barton Community College Cougars weren’t running and gunning as much as usual Saturday night.
No problem. Just give the basketball to guard Algie Key and let him take matters into his own hands.
Key scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the 10th-ranked Cougars to an 88-76 victory over Pratt  — their fifth straight Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division victory — at Kirkman Activity Center during Barton Sports Hall of Fame night.
“We’ve won five in a row and we’re in second place in the conference all by ourselves, which is nice after our start (0-2),” BCC head coach Craig Fletchall said. “We looked a little fatigued.
“I don’t think we brought the energy quite like we have been lately and in front of a home crowd … I’m not sure why.”
Barton is now 19-2, 5-2, as it prepares for a road trip to Concordia to play Cloud County on Wednesday night.
As if on cue Saturday night, Key simply turned the game into his own personal track meet, beating Pratt’s defenders downcourt for driving layups and pull-up jump shots. The freshman from Decatur, Ga., also had four of the Cougars’ eight steals to spark their transition game.
“It was a strength,” Fletchall said. “We had 23 points off turnovers and that’s the biggest part of our offense.
“I think Key hit some good pull-up jumpers. I think as good as he is going to the basket, we’ve been trying to tell him that when he gets guys on his heels, it’s OK to take 10- to 15-foot jumpers.”
Key said he didn’t want to get too deep on his penetration to the basket.
“(Pratt) was moving back, trying to take the charge, so I just pulled up for the jumper,” he said. “You always want to put pressure on their defense.
“We play well as a team, but we need to pick up our energy level.”
The Cougars limited Pratt to 39.4 percent shooting (28 for 71), including only 3 for 19 on 3-pointers.
Pratt, 10-11, 1-6, was led by Aaron Abram, who finished with 25 points.
“I credit Pratt,” Fletchall said. “I thought they were in the game from start to finish. They handled our ball screens well and fortunately they didn’t shoot the ball well from the perimeter or it might have been an overtime-type game.”
Power forward Dwayne Brunson added 21 points for the Cougars. Point guard Turon Parker added 12 points and forward Darius Hill put in 11.
“Dwayne’s attitude has been phenomenal that last couple weeks and we’ve brought him off the bench and he’s basically been a double-double guy,” Fletchall said of Brunson, who sank 9 of 10 free throws.
“He’s enjoying winning, and he got some big rebounds down the stretch for us.”
The Cougars, who led 40-32 at halftime, were able to keep the margin near that number the entire second half, answering every run the Beavers mustered.
Shooting 46.7 percent from the floor in the opening half (14 for 30), where they also outrebounded Pratt 26-23, the Cougars built a 40-32 halftime.
Pratt led only once, 2-0, but Barton unleashed a 20-9 run over the next eight minutes for a 20-12 lead after Key’s driving layup.
The Beavers answered with Trae Beck hitting a 3-pointer at the 11:12 mark to make it 20-15. Both two teams traded baskets until Brunson’s basket, followed by a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Hill, gave the Cougars a 32-22 edge with 6:01 left before halftime.
BCC was able to maintain that lead the remainder of the half.

JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas Jayhawk Community
College Conference
Western Division

At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center

MEN

Saturday

No. 10 Barton 88, Pratt 76
PRATT (10-11, 1-6)
     Chad Coachman 5-9 1-2 11, Trae Beck 4-14 1-2 12 , John Rutherford 0-2 0-0 0, Josh May 0-2 2-4 2, Taylor Rock 4-8 2-4 10, Aaron Abram 10-21 5-5 25, Bryton Hobbs 4-13 6-8 14, Chris Sponsel 1-2 0-0 2, Devin Callon 0 0-0 0. Totals 28-71 17-25 76.
BARTON (19-2, 5-2)
     Andell Cumberbatch 1-4 0-0 2, Turon Parker 4-9 4-6 12, Algie Key 11-16 3-6 25, Carl Wallace 0-3 1-4 1, Darius Hill 4-9 2-2 11, Jonathan Pittman 2-3 0-0 4, Kurt Walker 1-2 2-2 5, Julian Rose 2-5 0-0 4, DaVonte Grant 1-2 0-0 3, Dwayne Brunson 6-10 9-10 21. Totals 32-63 21-30 88.
     Three-point goals — Pratt 3-19 (Beck 3-11, Hobbs 0-4, Abram 0-2, Rutherford 0-2); Barton 3-15 (Hill 1-1, Pittman 0-1, Grant 1-2, Walker 1-2, Cumberbatch 0-2, Key 0-2, Wallace 0-2 Parker 0-3). Rebounds — Barton 50 (Hill 9, Key 8); Pratt 36 (Rock 7, Abram 7, Hobbs 7). Assists — Barton 19 (Key 5, Wallace 4); Pratt 10 (Hobbs 3, Coachman 3). Turnovers — Barton 18, Pratt 15. Blocked shots — Barton 4 (Key 2); Pratt 4 (Abram 2).