No. 17 Cougars advance to Saturday's Championship, Barton downs Seward County 102-83 #GoBarton

The No. 17 Barton Community College men's basketball team took control midway through the opening half Friday afternoon at Fleske Fieldhouse and never let go, rolling past Seward County Community College 102-83 in the semifinal round of the Region 6/Plains District Tournament.

Improving to 24-8 on the season, Barton advances to its fourth straight Region Championship game while ending fifth-seeded Seward County's season at 20-13. The Cougars will face No. 19 and second-seeded Butler Community College in Saturday's 5:00 p.m. championship game at Fleske Fieldhouse after the Grizzlies edged sixth-seeded Cowley College 105-104 in the other semifinal.

Butler enters the title game seeking revenge at 23-9 as Barton dealt the Grizzlies a pair of losses during the regular season. The meeting will also mark the first time the two programs have met in the Region 6 Championship game since 2023, when Butler upset the then-No. 20 Cougars 73-69 in Wichita.

Ticket and tournament information can be found at kjccc.org.

The Saints scored the first five points and led again at 8-3 before Barton answered with eight straight to grab its first advantage. Seward's third three-pointer of the opening six minutes pulled the contest even at 11, but the Cougars quickly shifted the momentum for good. Aris Rodriguez buried a go-ahead three, Sebastian Muchitsch added a pair of free throws, and Brian Sullivan, Jr. capped a 9-0 burst with a tip-in and a three-pointer to stretch the margin to 25-13 with 9:10 left in the half.

Seward trimmed the deficit to seven at 24-31 on Bailey Milligan's three-pointer with 6:50 remaining, but Barton answered immediately. Jayden Ramirez sparked the response with a personal 7-0 burst, hitting a pull-up jumper, knocking down a three-pointer, and finishing a layup to push the lead back to 14. Noah Williams added seven points over the final 3:11 of the half, including a three-pointer and a late tip-in, helping Barton carry a commanding 45-28 lead into the locker room.

Second-half action combined for 112 points and at times resembled a WWE cage fight, as play escalated and remained tense and physical for the final twenty minutes, including a sequence producing three technical fouls.

The Cougars wasted little time putting further distance between the teams after the break. Williams and Rodriguez combined for Barton's first 14 points of the half, with Rodriguez knocking down a pair of threes as the lead swelled to 59-36. Sullivan and Muchitsch later scored consecutive baskets to produce the Cougars' largest lead at 65-41 with 12:10 remaining, and every Seward push the rest of the way was quickly answered.

Barton shot 52.4 percent from the field while holding Seward County to 35.1 percent and dominated the interior with a 52-28 advantage in points in the paint. The Cougars also owned an 18-4 edge in fastbreak points, converted 30-of-41 free throws, and finished with a 45-40 rebounding advantage.

Rodriguez led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting, adding four steals and three three-pointers without committing a turnover. Ramirez matched his career high with 22 points off the bench on 7-of-11 shooting and a perfect 7-for-7 day at the free-throw line. Williams added 19 points and seven rebounds, while Muchitsch recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Sullivan, Jr. chipped in 13 points and five rebounds off the bench, and Jon Byrd directed the offense with eight assists, four rebounds, and three steals.

Awit Mamer and Lucas N'Gombo paced Seward County with 13 points apiece, Milligan added 11, and Lyna Brooks Jr. contributed nine points and a team-high 11 rebounds.