CAPTION: Barton Community College’s Maddox Spray (10), a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard from Great Bend High School, scored 2 points in the Cougars’ 92-62 first-round win over Brunswick Community College at the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Sunday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. CREDIT BARTON CC SPORTS INFORMATION
By John Mesh
The Barton Community College Cougars won their fifth straight NJCAA Division I men’s tournament game (all by double digits) with a 92-62 victory over Brunswick Community College in a first-round game Sunday afternoon on the Sam Butterfield Court at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Barton CC, winners of 14 straight games at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, advanced to the Sweet 16 (second round) of the NJCAA Division I tournament and will play Daytona State, Fla., (27-5) at noon Tuesday.
The No. 24-seeded Brunswick Dolphins (Bolivia, N.C.), finished the season with a 28-5 record.
The Jeremy Coombs-coached Barton Cougars, which posted a 4-0 record en route to winning last year’s NJCAA Division I national title, improved to 26-8 this season.
“It was a good win,” said Coombs during a postgame interview on ESPN+ and YouTube. “It was good to get in here and play those guys. It was a different style than we see all year.
“If we guard, we’re pretty good. If we don’t guard, we’re not as good. We knew rebounding was going to be huge (Barton won the board battle 44-37).
The only lead in the game for Brunswick was at 2-0. The Cougars led Brunswick at halftime 44-29. Barton outscored the Dolphins 48-33 in the second half. The 30-point final margin was Barton’s biggest lead of the game.
Barton’s Keandre Kindell, a 6-foot-1 sophomore point guard from Cincinnati who will play basketball at Wichita State University next year, scored 13 of his game-high 18 points at halftime.
Kindell also dished off 12 assists, pulled down 5 rebounds and added 4 steals. He recorded his second “double-double” of the season.
Led by Kindell’s 18 points, the Cougars placed six players in double figures and 11 in the scoring column.
Brent Moss added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Cougars — it was his 17th “double-double.” Eltramon Smith Jr. had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
Fontaine Williams and Aris Rodriguez each scored 11 points. Sebastian Mutchitsch tallied 10 points. They combined for 7-of-14 3-point shooting.
Barton made 53.6% of its field goal attempts, 11-of-23 3-point shots and 7-of-14 free throws.
Lyna Brooks Jr. scored 6 points (on two 3-pointers) and Pavel Ivanov added 3 points.
Maddox Spray (6-foot-6 sophomore guard from Great Bend High School), Lucas N’Gombo and Majok Chual each scored 2 points. James Parlow Jr. played but did not score.
Alius Bowser led the Dolphins with 13 points. Amani Henderson 10, Cam Oates 8, Tyrone Barbee 8, Zion Gardner 8, Landon King 7, Derrick Green 6 and Amari Latham 2.
Blake Bartney, Khalil Cooke and Michael Hayes Jr. played but did not score.
The Dolphins made 38.2% of their field goals, including 24% from 3-point range (6-of-25), and 4-of-9 free throws.
No. 23 Trinidad State 83, No. 10 Pensacola State 75
No. 23-seed Trinidad State, Colo., led by 30+ scoring efforts from Lateef Patrick and Amir Reaves, upset No. 10 Pensacola State 83-75 in a NJCAA Division I Men’s Tournament first-round game Sunday afternoon at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Trinidad State, the Region IX Tournament winner, improved to 19-14. Pensacola State finished the season with a 23-12 record.
Trinidad State will play Trinity Valley (30-3) at 2:30 p.m., Tuesday in the second round.
Trinidad State led at halftime 39-28. The Pensacola Pirates outscored the Trojans 47-44 in the second half.
Patrick connected on six 3-pointers and scored 33 points for the Trojans. Reaves scored 31 points, including 10-of-11 free throws and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Four Pirates scored in double figures, led by Dylan Colon with 19 points. Isaiah Sutherland scored 15 points. Will Vasser and Amarion Savage scored 12 apiece.
Angelina College 87, No. 21 South Georgia State 70
Angelina College, Texas, handed South Georgia State an 87-70 defeat in a NJCAA Division I Men’s Tournament first-round game Sunday night at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
No. 12 Angelina College, from Lufkin, Texas, improved to 27-6. The South Georgia State Hawks finished the season with a 27-7 record.
The Roadrunners from Angelina College play the Jones College Bobcats (30-3) from Ellisville, Miss., in a second-round game at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Angelina College led the Bobcats at halftime 51-29 on the strength of seven 3-pointers. The Bobcats outscored the Roadrunners 41-36 in the second half.
The Roadrunners got 25 points apiece from Kyle Morgan and Kanaan Holder. Daemon Ely had 12 points and 9 rebounds. Christian Jones scored 8 points. Jordan Mathews scored 6 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Chris Carpenter had 6 points and 7 assists.
Justin McCarter led the Bobcats with 20 points. Devin Rainey had 16 points and 6 assists. Ashton Pennaman had 12 points and 6 rebounds.
No. 11 Frank Phillips 83, No. 22 Wallace State-Hanceville 69
Frank Phillips College, the No. 11 seed defeated No. 22 Wallace State Community College-Hanceville, Ala., 83-69 Sunday night in the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
It was the last of the eight first-round games of the NJCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament.
Frank Phillips improved to 25-8. Wallace State finished the season with a 26-6 record.
In a Texas showdown, Frank Phillips (from Borger) plays Panola College (27-6, from Carthage) in a second-round game at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Frank Phillips led Wallace State at halftime 38-26 and outscored Wallace State 45-43 in the second half.
LA Hayes led Frank Phillips in scoring with 22 points. Mady Traore and Alem Fejzik each scored 15 points. Sherman Weatherspoon IV and Moustapha Loum each scored 8. Fejzik made five 3-pointers.
Kendarius Anderson and AJ Singleton led Wallace State with 15 points each, with Singleton grabbing 14 rebounds. Josh Paige scored 13 points. Arthur Johnson and Antonio Cochran each scored 7 points.
The game was delayed in the first half because a fan suffered a medical emergency and had to be taken by ambulance to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.
Cowley College to play Triton College Monday afternoon
The Cowley College Tigers, the Region 6 regular-season and postseason tournament champions, will make their first appearance in a second-round game at the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Monday afternoon at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Tigers (29-4) will play Triton College, Ill., (29-5) at 2:30 p.m. Monday.
In other second-round games Monday, Connors State, Warner, Okla., will play Snow College, Utah, (32-1) at noon; South Plains, Texas (27-6) will play Monroe College, New Rochelle, N.Y., at 5:30 p.m.; and Indian Hills Community College, Centerville, Iowa, (27-5) will play Vincennes College, Ind., at 8 p.m.
The quarterfinals will be played at noon, 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
No games are scheduled on Thursday.
The semifinals will be played at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday. The championship game will be played at noon Saturday and will be televised on ESPNU.