The mid-range, pull-up jump shot seems to be a dying art these days.
For Barton Community College guard Al Key, it’s his bread-and-butter.
Key and Cougars teammate Andell Cumberbatch combined for 54 points, scoring 27 apiece, as 19th-ranked Barton picked apart winless Jayhawk West foe Colby 92-65 on Wednesday night at Kirkman Activity Center/LT & Sheila Fleske Court.
“No question, it is a lost art,” said Barton head coach Craig Fletchall, whose team improved to 17-3 overall, 4-2 in conference play. “As the year’s pass, the pull-up jump shot has become almost obsolete.
“Al shot the ball well tonight and I know he’s been frustrated with his play as of late, but he continues to bring effort.”
With the University of Alabama head coach Anthony Grant on hand to recruit Key, the 6-foot-4 sophomore guard from Decatur, Ga., didn’t disappoint.
Key was held to a season-low six points on 2-for-12 shooting during the Cougars’ 79-77 loss to top-ranked Hutchinson seven days ago, their most recent game. But he lit up Colby (9-12, 0-7) with 11-for-19 shooting — most coming on jumpers from the 15- to 18-foot range — and 5-for-6 free-throw accuracy. He also had a team-high six assists.
Cumberbatch, a 6-4 guard from East Orange, N.J., perhaps the conference’s most improved player, made 7 of 13 field goals, including 4-for-5 on 3-pointers, and converted 9 of 10 free throws. He finished with a double-double, also totaling a team-high 12 rebounds.
“I thought Andell had great focus,” Fletchall said. “Coming off of a break, as frustrating as we were with the Hutch loss, I think we left that behind.
“We were focused for 40 against Colby. That’s all a coach can ask. It’s so funny the way the schedule is. We played seven games in 12 days and then we turned out and had a week off. It’s always a challenge, and the sophomores were leaders.”
The Cougars shot a torrid 85.7 percent from the foul line, converting 18 of 21 free throws.
“I was real pleased with our focus at the free-throw line,” Fletchall said. “Obviously, if we shoot like that all of the time, we have a couple more wins.
“Al took over at the point when Turon (Parker) got into foul trouble and did a great job there.”
In first-half action, Barton led 19-17 after post player Raheem Johnson caught a lob on an inbounds play and scored in the lane. It stretched it to 21-17 after Key hit a jumper from the baseline at the 9:40 mark.
After the Trojans’ Spencer Tubbs hit a short-range basket at the 9:16 mark to pull Colby within 21-19, Key hit a mid-range basket and Cumberbatch added a pull-up jumper, the start of a 17-0 run that turned the game into a runaway.
By the time Colby scored again, over six minutes had elapsed and Barton was in command, building a 45-27 halftime lead.
Barton guard Kevin Kuteyi joined Key and Cumberbatch in double figures with 14 points, including a pair of 3s.
Colby was led by Terry Starks with 19 points. Trojans post player Kris Rolle, the second-leading rebounder in the nation, finished with five points and only five boards.
Barton returns to action on Saturday night, traveling to the Beaver Dome to take on Pratt.

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Wednesday

At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center
LT & Sheila Fleske Court

Barton Community College 92, Colby 65
COLBY (9-12, 0-7)
     Terry Starks 6-7 4-4 19, Cody Sluder 7-12 0-0 17, John Clarke 4-11 0-0 10, Marko Kracun 2-3 0-0 6, Jeremiah Ingram 1-8 3-5 5, Kris Rolle 1-6 3-4 5, Spencer Tubbs 1-1 0-0 2, Branden Williams 0-3 1-2 1, Dalaan Organ 0-0 0-0 0, Dillon Trachsel 0-0 0-0 0, Jamal Jones 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-51 11-15 65.
BARTON (17-3 (4-2)
     Algie Key 11-19 5-6 27, Andell Cumberbatch 7-13 9-10 27,Kevin Kuteyi 5-9 2-3 14, Raheem Johnson 3-5 0-0 6, Turon Parker 2-7 0-0 5, Dominique Wilson 2-4 0-0 4, Travell Robinson 2-2 0-0 4, Trey Unrau 1-6 0-0 3, Rapheal Stephens 0-0 2-2 2, John Goodson 0-0 0-0 0, Andy Wiechman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-65 18-21 92.
     Halftime — Barton 45, Colby 27. Three-point goals—Colby 10-26 (Sluder 3-7, Starks 3-4, Kracun 2-3, Clarke 2-7, Williams 0-2, Ingram 0-3); Barton 8-22 (Cumberbatch 4-5, Kuteyi 2-4,Parker 1-5, Unrau 1-6, Key 0-2). Rebounds — Colby CC 26 (Kris Rolle 5, John Clarke 5), Barton 38 (Andell Cumberbatch 12). Assists — Colby CC 14 (Terry Starks 5), Barton 20 (Key 6). Total fouls — Colby CC 16, Barton 15. Fouled out — Barton (Parker).