The Barton Community College men's basketball team leaned on toughness in the paint and timely late-game execution Saturday night, outlasting Cowley College 84–81 on Hall of Fame celebration day at Fleske Fieldhouse.
The results coincidentally leaves both teams with identical records of 6-6 in conference play and 11-7 overall. Barton now hits the road Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup at first-place and No. 21 ranked Dodge City Community College (9-3, 13-5).
Barton established an early inside presence behind Majok Chuol and Sebastian Muchitsch, building its largest lead of ten with 13:56 left in the half, before Cowley answered with stretches of perimeter shooting and transition looks to keep it tight. The Tigers briefly nudged ahead late in the frame, but the Cougars carried a 40–38 advantage into the break after Blake Rucker buried the first of his pair of three-pointers on the night with 14 seconds remaining.
The second half unfolded as a possession-by-possession battle, with Barton briefly stretching its lead before Cowley used turnovers and second-chance opportunities to seize momentum. After the Cougars pushed the margin to seven early, Cowley capitalized on three Barton miscues and a pair of offensive rebounds to surge ahead, turning a one-point game into its largest lead of the night at 69–61 with 7:18 remaining.
Barton responded with composure and physicality, attacking the paint and the glass to quickly erase the deficit. Muchitsch scored on consecutive possessions and finished through contact to pull the Cougars back within three, setting the stage for a tight closing stretch that featured multiple lead changes and a 73–73 tie with 3:24 to play. From there, Barton delivered its cleanest execution of the night at the free-throw line, converting eight straight attempts in the final 90 seconds as Aris Rodriguez, Jayden Ramirez, and Brian Sullivan, Jr. combined to build late separation and secure the 84–81 victory despite Cowley's final-minute push.
Barton finished 30-of-36 at the free-throw line, a key separator in a three-point game, while also controlling the boards 42–26 behind 14 offensive rebounds.
Muchitsch posted his fourth double-double of the year behind a monster 19 points and career high 15 rebounds, while Rodriguez led the Cougars with 23 points and a career best six assists. Noah Williams added 14 points and 10 rebounds for his third double of the season, and Chuol's inside spark delivered a season high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting to go with five boards and two blocks. Rucker chipped in seven points off the bench, highlighted by his momentum-swing triple just before halftime.
Four Tigers reached double figures, led by Roman Miller's 16 points and six rebounds. Leslie Owens Jr. added 14 points, Kyden Thompson contributed 12, and Marcus Smith finished with 11.