Cougars topple T-Birds, 74-55

GREAT BEND — Outscored by 30 points from three-point range and surrendering 26 points off of their 27 turnovers, the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds fell 74-55 to Barton Community College in a Jayhawk Conference rematch on Wednesday night.
Cloud County, which had defeated Barton 68-57 in the first meeting this season, connected on just 2 of 12 three-point attempts in the game.
Barton put up 28 shots from beyond the arc and connected on 12 of them for 43 percent.
The Cougars also turned 27 Cloud County turnovers into 26 points on its way to the win.
Barton, now 16-8 overall and 11-7 in conference play, had Cougar Downing connect on two threes to open the game.
Corey Sawyer scored for Cloud County to make it 6-2.
The Cougars scored the next six points to go up 12-2.
Cloud County, 12-12 overall and 8-10 in the conference, scored 11 straight points, four by Joe Kearney, to grab its only lead of the game, 13-12.
A three by Joseph Locandro started a 7-0 Barton spurt that made it 19-13.
Ja'Ron Briggs Jr. connected on one of the T-Birds' two three-point makes in the game to close the gap to 19-16.
Briggs Jr. came off the bench to lead Cloud County with 16 points. He was five of seven from the field and five of six from the free throw line, and also pulled down seven rebounds.
Getting three-point baskets by Mozae Downing-Rivers and Downing, the Cougars opened up a 31-22 advantage.
A basket by Kearney and four straight free throws by Sawyer pulled Cloud County within three points, 31-28.
Kearney finished with 13 points and six rebounds and Sawyer hit 9 of 10 free throws in scoring 11 points and also had eight rebounds.
A three-point basket by Downing gave Barton a 34-28 halftime advantage.
Cooper Jackson hit a three and Aime Rutayisire scored inside to push Barton's lead to 39-28 early in the second half.
Trailing 44-35, the T-Birds got a bucket by Kearney and two free throws by Sawyer to trim the deficit to five points, 44-39, with 13:31 remaining in the game.
Barton scored eight points in less than two minutes to go on top 52-39 when Ring Malith knocked down a three with 11:42 on the clock.
Cloud County got as close as 10 points, 53-43, when Briggs Jr. hit a jumper with 10:07 to play.
A 12-2 run gave Barton a 65-45 cushion with under three minutes remaining.
Cloud County got no closer than 17 points after that.
The T-Birds connected on 18 of 43 field goal attempts for 42 percent and 17 of 21 free throws for 81 percent.
Downing led Barton with 27 points.
Downing-Rivers finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Cougars were 24 of 61 from the floor for 39 percent and 14 of 21 from the line for 67 percent.
Cloud County travels to El Dorado on Saturday afternoon for a conference game against Butler Community College.
The T-Birds defeated the Grizzlies 59-44 back on December 10.
Butler is 19-6 overall and 13-6 in the Jayhawk Conference following a 69-68 loss to conference-leading Dodge City Community College.