The 15th-ranked Barton Community College men's basketball team erased an early nine-point deficit Saturday at Fleske Fieldhouse, grinding out a 76–68 victory over Pratt Community College.
Snapping a two-game slide, the Cougars improve to 4–2 in conference play and 9–3 overall, while the Beavers remain in search of their first league win, slipping to 0–6 in the Jayhawk and 3–8 on the season.
Barton now turns its attention to a Tuesday trip to Goodland for an 8:30 p.m. (CT) matchup at Fort Hays Tech Northwest before closing the fall portion of the slate on Saturday with a 4:00 p.m. home contest against Garden City Community College.
The Cougars' ability to get to, and convert at, the free throw line proved decisive, finishing 28-of-38 at the stripe for a 10-point advantage over Pratt.
Jayden Ramirez led the way, knocking down 13-of-18 free throws and sinking a pair in the closing moments to cap a game-high 20-point performance.
Freshman Mikey Williams delivered a career-best 15 points, hitting both of his three-point attempts, the first late in the opening half to give Barton a 34–32 halftime edge and the second to stretch the Cougar lead to its largest of 13 with 7:35 remaining. Williams also went 5-of-6 at the line, joining Ramirez in helping seal the win down the stretch.
Aris Rodriguez added 13 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Sebastian Muchitsch provided a key spark late, scoring six straight points to give Barton an eight-point cushion with 1:45 to play before finishing with nine points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
Jon Byrd's team-leading four assists included a seven-point first-half surge, where he scored once and set up two more buckets to help the Cougars gain separation. Noah Williams anchored the glass with a team-high nine rebounds, adding six points and tying his career best with three steals.
Pratt put three players in double figures, led by Galvin Luketa's 12 points. Seydina Faye added 11, and Hunter Vaughn posted 10 points, six rebounds, and a game-high five assists. Justin Robinson and Muna Godswill each chipped in nine points, with Godswill matching the game high on the boards with nine rebounds.