NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Coming into Saturday's championship game, the Barton County Cougars had won the three NJCAA Tournament games in which they played by 15, 14 and 15 points respectively.
The Cougars kept that trend of double digit victories in the tournament, and Barton took the title home with an 88-73 win over Triton Saturday afternoon at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Triton hung with Barton for most of the game, but it was a 7-0 spurt by Ring Malith that got the Cougars going and gave them a 23-21 lead at the 8:06 mark of the first half. Malith then kept it rolling for 18 points in the first half. Hutch High graduate Myles Thompson had 15 before halftime for the Cougars and Barton led at the break 46-39.
The big stat for Barton was points in the paint as they outscored Triton 34-20 in the red, as Thompson led the Cougars with a game-high 27 points. Malith had 22. Cooper Jackson and Lajae Jones each scored 14 for Barton.
Dior Conners paced the Trojans with 24 points, Amar Aguillard had 23 and Dylan Williams and AJ Dixon each added 10.
Barton's biggest lead was 15, and Triton got it as close as five with a Conners three with 3:48 to play. After that, Thompson was fouled and made a pair of free throws, the Trojans turned it over and Thompson hit a hook, then Barton got a steal but missed two layups. Aguillard tried one from deep to cut it to two possessions and missed and then the dagger came from Cooper Jackson from three at 2:34 to go and Triton never got within single digits after that.
Jones was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Thompson and Malith made the all-tournament team, along with Aguillard and Dixon from Triton.
Barton wins the title at 36-1. Triton ends their season at 34-3.
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