COLBY -- No. 1 Barton Community College swept its school record 20th victory for a 23-1 run through the Jayhawk Conference with a 93-69 victory over Colby Community College.
The Cougars (29-1, 23-1 Jayhawk) have clinched a berth in the 2024 NJCAA Tournament based on recent history. A Jayhawk champion that doesn't win the Region 6 championship has been typically awarded an invitation.
The No. 1 seeded Cougars play the Coffeyville/Pratt winner in Tuesday's Region 6 Tournament.
Keandre Kindell led the Cougars with 14 points. Scoring in double figures were Christian Bowen-Webb (12) with four 3-pointers, Lajae Jones (11), Ring Malith (11), Brent Moss (10) and Fawaz Sukarat (10). Great Bend's Stefan Spray scored a career high eight points keyed by a steal and a thunderous dunk around a Trojan defender. Mozae Downing-Rivers passed out six assists.
Barton's reserves outscored Colby 56-31.
Colby's D'Necco Rucker scored 17 points and Max Massadila added 11 points. Pawnee Heights Tiger Alec Carlson scored a career high nine points.
NOTES Barton has won eight straight in the series. Barton leads 26-10 in Colby, 62-14 overall.
JONES EARNS HONOR — Barton’s Lajae Jones was named the KJCCC and NJCAA Division I Player of the Week.
Jones posted a pair of double-doubles last week in averaging 22.5 points on 58% shooting and 13 rebounds leading the Cougars to a pair of victories to clinch the program's first Jayhawk title since 2009.
Beginning his week scoring Barton's opening seven points Wednesday night at Dodge City, the sophomore finished with game high honors of 26 points and 12 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season.
With the Cougars having already clinched a share of the league title, Jones capped the week carrying the Cougars to the outright crown in Barton's 91-78 win over #15 Hutchinson last Saturday by dropping 19 points on 55% shooting and pulling down six of his 14 rebounds on the offensive side.
The effort recorded his fourth double-double over the last five games and 12th double-double of the year.
Most recently Jones logged just 19 minutes in Barton's 93-69 blowout win at Colby scoring 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, grabbing two rebounds, recording two steals, and dishing out an assist.
Jones' award is his lone national accolade and fourth within the KJCCC this season having won three consecutive in the 4th, 5th, and 6th weeks while additionally garnering the squad's sixth overall joining Myles Thompson's week two and fourteen conference honor.
Barton 46 57 — 93
Colby 27 42 — 69
BARTON (28-1, 22-1)—Kindell 5-7 4-5 14, Bowen-Webb 4-7 0-0 12, Jones 5-9 0-1 11, Malith 4-6 1-1 11, Moss 4-9 2-3 10, Sukarat 4-4 2-3 10, Jackson 3-5 1-2 8, Thompson 3-11 0-0 6, Downing-Rivers 0-2 1-2 1, Spray 2-3 4-4 8, Bol 1-1 0-0 2, Totals 35-64 15-22 93.
COLBY (9-22, 6-18)—D'Necco Rucker 5-11 3-4 17, Max Massadila 4-6 0-0 11, Alec Carlson 3-6 1-2 9, Larry 2-4 5-7 9, Mailath 3-5 1-2 7, Malekinusic 1-7 2-2 4, Patak 3-4 0-2 6, Korp 0-0 0-1 0, Nagau 3-8 0-1 6, Totals 24-51 12-21 69.
3-pointers—BC 8-19 (Bowen-Webb 4-5, Malith 2-4, Jones 1-3, Jackson 1-2, Kindell 0-1, Downing-Rivers 1-2, Thompson 0-1, Spray 0-1); C 9-21 (Rucker 4-8, Massadila 3-4, Carlson 2-5, Mailith 1-2). Rebounds—BC 30 (Jones 14); BC 30 (Nagau 5). Assists—BC 10 (Thompson 2, Downing Rivers 2, Jackson 2); C 17 (Massadila 6). Steals—BC 12; C 5 (Mailith 3). TO—BC 13, C 25.
JAYHAWK MEN
Barton 23-1 29-1
Cowley 21-3 25-4
Hutchinson 20-4 25-5
Butler 17-7 22-8
Cloud 15-9 20-10
Garden City 14-10 18-12
NW Tech 11-13 15-15
Coffeyville 9-15 13-17
Pratt 7-17 10-20
Dodge City 7-17 9-21
Colby 6-18 9-22
Seward 6-18 8-22
Independence 0-24 1-29
3-1—Barton 91, Hutchinson 78; Cloud 81, Butler 67; Coffeyville 70, Colby 50; NW Tech 88 Pratt 77; Garden City 86, Dodge City 75; Seward 92 Independence 81
3-5—Barton 93, Colby 69
3-6—Cowley 81, Butler 65; NW Tech 80, Cloud 75; Pratt 90, Seward 86; Coffeyville 95, Independence 77; Hutchinson 96, Garden City 78
REGION 6
1 Barton 29-1 bye; 3-9—8 Coffeyville 13-17 vs. 9 Pratt 10-20
4 Butler 22-8 bye; 3-9—5 Cloud 20-9 vs. 12 Colby 9-22
2 Cowley 24-4 bye; 3-9—7 NW Tech 15-15 vs. 10 Dodge City 9-21
3 Hutchinson 25-5 bye; 3-9—6 Garden City 18-13 vs. 11 Seward 8-22
