ACC coach Andy Shaw knew it was only a matter of time before the fairy-tale start to the Jayhawk conference would come to a close.
The Red Devils sat atop the Jayhawk East with a 7-0 record in the conference, and were riding high on an 11-game winning streak that featured a signature win over No.5 Hutchinson Community College.
It could have been the snowy weather on Saturday, but the Red Devil shooters ran abnormally cold. ACC shot 3/23 from 3-point territory, and saw its winning streak snapped by Barton in a narrow defeat, 93-89.
I thought we missed a lot of layups around the rim that we normally make, and going 3/23 on 3-pointers is going to be tough to win, Shaw said. It seems every season there are a couple of games where this happens. I knew at some point the winning streak was going to end, but my message to the team was that streak is over, and its time to start another.
ACC controlled the opening minutes of the match. A strong and-one finish from Malik Hardmon put the Red Devils ahead 11-7 four minutes into the game. Hardmon was at his best on Saturday, posting a double-double consisting of 34 points on 10/21 from the field along with 10 rebounds.
The Red Devil bench was unable to keep pace midway through the first half as Barton took a 23-18 lead. The Cougars outpaced the Red Devils in the final 10 minutes of the half, racing to a 47-34 lead at the break. ACC failed to connect on 10 3-point attempts in the first half.
We have to come out with more urgency, Shaw said. I dont know if was because we were 7-0, but they came out and punched us in the mouth and were able to finish it off in the end.
In the second half, Barton grew its lead to 45-66. With one second left on the shot clock, Brandon Gray fired from half-court on an inbound pass that kissed the glass on its way in. The miracle effort was ACCs first 3-pointer of the game. From there, the comeback was on.
Trez Hankins inched ACC within 10 with his first 3-pointer of the game. A reverse layup from Shaikim Jenks brought the deficit down to 78-70. Another trey from Hankins brought ACC within three, but for every ACC basket, it seemed Barton had an answer.
After Hardmon posterized a Cougar defender and converted the bonus bucket, Barton responded with a 3-point play to hold a 88-82 lead. The Red Devils battled in the final minutes, but couldnt come up with a crucial defensive stop to get over the hump. The Cougars held on for the 93-89 victory, snapping ACCs 11-game winning streak.
My overall message was that we need to stay together, Shaw said. We proved that we belong with good teams. Barton was ranked 24th, and it took a heck of an effort to hold us off there in the end. The message was about togetherness, and weve had that throughout this streak. We cant let a little bit of adversity make us fall apart.
With the loss, ACC now sits at second in the Jayhawk East behind Cowley. Both teams rest at 7-1 in conference play, but Cowley holds the better overall record. The Red Devils will be keen to start a new winning streak when they travel to Butler on Wednesday.
