By MACK McCLURE
mmcclure@gbtribune.com

Todd Johnston triggered a 7-0 Cloud County Community College run with a 3-pointer at the 2:07 mark in overtime, lifting the Thunderbirds to a 70-63 victory over Barton on Wednesday night at Kirkman Athletic Center.
Johnston also capped the mini-run by sinking a pair of free throws at the 1:09 mark, increasing Cloud’s lead to 65-59 as it was able to put the game away down the stretch.
Cloud, which improved to 5-3 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division and 15-7 overall, moved into sole possession of third place in conference play. Barton dropped to 5-4, 17-6, losing for the third time in overtime at home this season.
After the game was tied at 55 at the end of regulation, Barton’s Storm Sanders and Jalen Boyd each connected on a pair of free throws at the outset of the five-minute overtime for a 59-57 lead.
Cloud’s Richard Carter made the first of two free throws with 3:15 remaining in overtime, closing the gap to 59-58. After a Barton turnover, Johnston buried his 3-pointer to put Cloud ahead to stay.
During second-half action, Barton led 50-45 before the T-Birds started making a serious run at the Cougars, pulling within 52-50 on a three-point play by post player Mohamed Fall and then going ahead 53-52 on Ben Steinlage’s 3-pointer with 3:08 left in regulation.
Barton appeared to be in trouble after Onzie Branch, with the shot clock winding down, hit a leaning jumper at the 2:25 mark to make it 55-52 Cloud.
But shortly thereafter, Onzie Branch fouled Sanders in the act of shooting a 3-pointer with 58.4 seconds left. Sanders converted all three free throws, which ultimately sent the game into OT.
BCC had another opportunity in the late going after Colin Beatty drew a charging foul on Cloud’s Brandon Newton as he drove to the basket near the 30-second mark.
But the Cougars missed a pair of shots in the final seconds and the game went into overtime.
In a slow-paced first half, both teams finally pushed the issue during the final 7:21 of the first half. Barton outscored Cloud 13-12 the remainder of the half to mount a 30-25 lead at halftime.
The opening 12 ½ minutes featured half-court offenses and low scoring, although power forward Dwayne Brunson gave the Cougars a lift after coming off the bench at the 17:54 mark. Brunson scored eight straight points to give BCC an 11-7 lead at the 13:16 mark before Cloud’s Devon Branch 3-pointer cut the lead to 11-10.
DeVonte Grant made two free throws with 12:49 left in the half to make it 13-10.
Leading by three, BCC’s Sanders nailed a 3-pointer and made 1 of 2 free throws, the start of a 9-3 run over the next 2 ½ minutes. It was capped by Boyd’s basket inside, along with a 3 from the left wing, for a 26-17 lead.
The only points Cloud had during the run came on a three-point play by Carter, who led the T-Birds in double figures with 17 points. Steinlage added 16 points, Fall scored 12 and Devon Branch finished with 10.
Barton was led by Brunson with 20 points, and Boyd and Sanders each scored 11 points.
GAME NOTES — West-leading Seward entered conference play Wednesday night at 7-1 and19-3 overall, averaging a division-best 90.1 points, second only to East-leading Coffeyville (9-1), which was averaging 90.7 points. Hutchinson (6-2) ranked second in the West, averaging 83.8 points, Barton was third at 82.0 and Cloud was fourth at 80.2. … BCC was giving up an average of 68.5 points per game, compared to Cloud’s 68.9.

JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas Jayhawk Community
College Conference
Western Division
At Kirkman Athletic Center
 
MEN
Wednesday
Cloud County
Community College 70,
Barton 63, OT
CLOUD COUNTY (15-7, 5-3)
     Richard Carter 6-15 3-8 17, Ben Steinlage 4-10 7-8 16, Devon Branch 3-8 3-6 10, Onzie Branch 1-4 0-0 2, Mohamed Fall 5-10 2-4 12, Kyle Haverkamp 0-1 0-0 0, Brandon Newton 2-5 0-0 4, Jordan Herrera 0-0 0-0 0, Alex Williams 0-3 0-0 0, Todd Johnston 3-3 1-2 9. Totals 24-59 16-28 70.
BARTON (17-6, 5-4)
     Adam Young 0-7 0-0 0, Jalen Boyd 2-9 6-8 11, Storm Sanders 1-7 8-9 11, Colin Beatty 2-12 0-0 4, Carl Wallace 4-8 0-2 8, Kevin Barber 3-6 0-0 7, DeVonte Grant 0-2 2 2, Dwayne Brunson 9-14 2-2 20, Darius Hill 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-65 18-23 63.
     Halftime — Barton 30, Cloud County 26. End of Regulation — Barton 55, Cloud 55. Three-point goals — Barton 3-25 (Sanders 1-5, Boyd 1-5, Barber 1-4, Beatty 0-4, Young 0-3, Grant 0-2, Brunson 0-1, Wallace 0-1); Cloud 6-17 (Johnston 2-2, Carter 2-8, Steinlage 1-2, D. Branch 1-2, O. Branch 0-1, Haverkamp 0-1, Newton 0-1). Rebounds — Cloud 45 (Fall 10); Barton 42 (Young 9, Beatty 6, Wallace 6). Assists — Cloud 15 (Carter 8); Barton 13 (Beatty 4, Wallace 4).