Second-half pullaway ends Barton men's season in NJCAA Tournament opener #GoBarton

The 15th seeded Barton Community College men's basketball team battled through a tightly contested first half Saturday afternoon at Hutchinson's Sports Arena, but an early second-half surge by 18th seeded New Mexico Junior College proved decisive in handing the Cougars a 103-90 loss in the opening round of the 2026 Credit Union 1 NJCAA Division I National Tournament.

Barton closes out its season at 24-10 overall, while New Mexico improves to 27-7, advancing to Monday's 2:30 p.m. contest against second-seeded College of Southern Idaho.

The opening half unfolded as a back-and-forth affair featuring six ties and four lead changes, with neither side able to create separation. Barton briefly grabbed its largest lead at 29-27 following a pair of Noah Williams free throws with 4:29 remaining, but New Mexico answered with a 10-2 stretch to regain control before Brian Sullivan, Jr.'s layup in the closing seconds trimmed the deficit to 40-36 at the break.

New Mexico's control of the glass and second-chance opportunities became a defining factor following the intermission.

The Thunderbirds seized momentum immediately out of the locker room, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and Barton foul trouble in opening the half on a 19-7 run to push the margin to double digits. New Mexico continued to build the advantage behind its presence on the glass, extending the lead to as many as 21 midway through the period.

Despite the deficit, Barton continued to fight back, trimming the margin to eight on multiple occasions, including a 66-58 score following a Williams dunk with 11:57 remaining. However, each push was answered as New Mexico responded with timely three-point shooting and interior finishes to keep the Cougars at arm's length down the stretch.

Plagued by foul trouble throughout, the Cougars leaned on balanced scoring with five players reaching double figures. Williams led Barton with 23 points, going 9-of-10 at the free throw line, before fouling out. Sebastian Muchitsch added 15 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting effort with six rebounds despite being limited to 24 minutes, while Blake Rucker matched the total off the bench, knocking down 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and grabbing six rebounds.

Aris Rodriguez contributed 12 points and five rebounds in the final game of his Barton career, closing as the program's 10th all-time leading scorer with 1,077 points. Sullivan, Jr. provided a strong spark with 14 points and a team-high six assists, while Jon Byrd dished out five assists.

New Mexico shot 47.2% from the floor and placed four in double figures, led by RJ Nance's 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting including 4-of-7 from three-point range. Deiang Muon added 18 points and seven rebounds, while Ladji Coulibaly recorded 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds. The Thunderbirds also received 38 bench points, helping fuel the decisive second-half push.

The Cougars close the 2025-26 campaign with 24 victories, marking the fourth straight season of 24 or more wins, highlighted by a 10-game winning streak to conclude the regular season and a share of the Jayhawk Conference title, their second in the past three years. Riding a 12-game winning streak into the Region 6 championship, Barton earned an at-large berth into the NJCAA Division I National Tournament, marking the program's seventh all-time appearance and third consecutive, posting a 5-2 record during that stretch.

Game Notes:
- Barton finished 23-of-31 (74.2%) at the free throw line, entering the game leading all levels of collegiate basketball in free throws attempted and made
- It marked the first time in 14 games (Jan. 26) the Cougars were outshot at the line (NMJC: 24-of-34, 70.6%)
- Barton was outrebounded for the second straight game (NMJC 46, Barton 35), both resulting in losses
- The Cougars were held to 10 or fewer offensive rebounds for the first time in seven games
- Barton's nine made three-pointers were its fourth-most in a game this season
- New Mexico's 11 three-pointers marked the third straight game Barton allowed double-digit makes
- Second straight game Barton surrendered 100 or more points, the fifth time this season
- Fourth consecutive game Barton allowed 55 or more second-half points

Tournament Notes: (*Courtesy of Ryan Chambers)
- Since 2013, No. 15 seeds are now 10-3 vs. No. 18 seeds
- No. 15 seeds improve to 11-13 overall
- No. 18 seeds improve to 3-12 overall
- Since 2013, Barton is 7-3 overall, including 6-1 vs. lower-seeded teams
- Since 2013, New Mexico is 2-2 overall, including 1-1 vs. higher-seeded teams
- Tournament appearances: Barton 7, New Mexico 5
- Head Coach Jeremy Coombs is now 6-3 in national tournament games (Barton/Neosho County)
- New Mexico Head Coach Luke Mackay made his national tournament debut