The bar goes up this weekend for the Barton Community College men’s basketball team.
After disposing of the Southwestern College junior varsity 113-57 on Tuesday night at Kirkman Activity Center, Barton head coach Craig Fletchall turned his attention to this weekend.
The Cougars (6-0) are host to the Highland Hotel-Booster Club Basketball Classic on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They entertain Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Eastern Division foes Independence (at 7 on Friday night) and Labette (at 7 on Saturday night) before taking on Frank Phillips at 3 on Sunday afternoon.
“I think things have gone as scheduled with home games and keeping everybody healthy,” Fletchall said. “We’ve played different rotations, and now it’s time to step up and play three NJCAA Division-I schools in 72 hours and see what we’re made of and still protect our turf at home.
 “Right now, one through 13, we’re mixing and matching. We have kind of a smorgasbord, with a lot of different guys scoring.”
Sophomore power forward Dwayne Brunson scored a game-high 24 points in only 20 minutes of action. He hit 11 of 23 field goals and added eight rebounds.
Brunson was one of six Cougars that finished in double digits in scoring. Sophomore forward Jalen Boyd added 13 points.
Freshman guard Algie Key had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and sophomore swingman Julian Rose had 10 points and 10 boards. Freshman guard Andell Cumberbatch added 12 points.
 “We’re taking these JV games as a run, to get our wind and get in shape,” Brunson said. “We’re going to keep playing hard and do what we do.
“We just know how to score and put the ball in the basket and keep running out until the clock stops.”
Boyd said the Cougars are ready for the upcoming classic.
“This weekend is where we really start our journey,” Boyd said. “Independence and Labette are good teams, and we need to bring it.
“I feel like we’re in a great position. I feel we can be 9-0, if we really put our minds to it in practice these next couple days and get after it.”
Southwestern’s JV stayed in contention early, hitting four opening-half 3-pointers, but the Cougars easily pulled away in mounting a 62-33 halftime lead.
Barton led only 40-26 before Boyd’s 3-pointer with just over five minutes left in the half, kick-starting a 22-7 half-ending run to send the Moundbuilders reeling.
The Cougars shot a blistering 59.5 percent from the floor in the first half and cooled to 54.4 percent for the game against the outmanned Moundbuilders.
Brunson, a sophomore power forward, scored 16 first-half points on 7-for-11 shooting and 2-for-4 on free throws. Boyd scored 11 opening-half points, hitting 2 of 3 from downtown.
The Cougars’ lone eyesore was 10-for-19 free-throw shooting in the opening 20 minutes and only 11 for 20 for the game.
 
JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL
 
At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center
Tuesday
 
MEN
 
Barton Community College 113,
Southwestern Junior Varsity 57
SOUTHWESTERN JV  (1-3)
     Alex Tyler 3-7 0-0 4, Michael Aduddell 3-13 4-4 11, Blake Nachbor 4-8 0-0 8, Quinton Peak 1-4 2-2 4, Spencer Murphy 2-7 0-2 5, Larry Vasquez 1-10 0-0 2, Kyle Preston 0-2 0-0 0, Casey Holt 0-4 5-6 5, Taylor Satterthwaite 0-3 2-2 2, Erik Johnson 4-9 4-7 12 . Totals 18-67 17-23 57.
BARTON (6-0)
     Jonathan Pittman 1-4 1-2 3,  Jalen Boyd 5-8 1-2 13,  Turon Parker 3-6 0-0 6, Algie Key 5-10 2-4 12, Dwayne Brunson 11-23 2-4 24, Kurt Walker 1-1 0-0 3, Andel Cumberbatch 5-7 2-2 12, Shaka Thomas 1-1 0-0 2, Julian Rose 5-9 0-0 10, Ben Profitt 1-3 1-1 3, DaVonte Grant 2-4 0-0 5, Carl Wallace 3-6 2-3 8, Darius Hill 6-8 0-2 12. Totals 49-90 11-20 113.
Halftime — Barton 62, Southwestern JV 33. Three-point goals — Southwestern JV 4-27 (Tyler 2-5, Aduddell 1-8, Peak 0-1, Murphy 1-4, Vasquez 0-6, Holt 0-2, Satterwhite 0-1); Barton 4-15 (Boyd 2-4, Grant 1-2, Walker 1-1, Profitt 0-2, Key 0-1, Parker 0-1, Brunson 0-1, Cumberbatch 0-1, Hill 0-1, Rose 0-1). Rebounds — Barton 67 (Key 11, Rose 10, Brunson 8); Southwestern 29 (Nachbor 6). Assists — Barton 31 (Key 7, Grant 4, Wallace 4); Southwestern 11 (Tyler 4). Steals — Barton 7 (Parker 2); Southwestern 4 (Preston 2). Turnovers — Southwestern 21, Barton 16.