The Triton College men's basketball team hopes of winning its first NJCAA Division I men's basketball title were spoiled by Barton County Community College in an 88-73 loss Saturday, March 30, in the championship game played in Hutchinson, Kan.
The Trojans finished the season 34-3, tying the most wins in team history.
Amar Augillard and
AJ Dixon were named to the all-tournament team,
Dylan Williams earned the best small man award and Triton won the team sportsmanship award of the NJCAA Division I Championship tournament.
The Trojans had the distinction of the reaching the Final Four for the second time in three years.
"The team has been unbelievable," said first-year head coach
Brian Burns. "Obviously it's great for the school. Two Final Fours in three years and now a national runner-up, not just a semi-finalist. It's been a great run."
In only the third national championship game Triton has ever played, the Trojans had to play catch-up the entire second half. Dior Connors hit some key three's with 17 points after halftime. However, the Cougars duo of Myles Thompson and Ring Malith were too much for Triton to handle. Thompson led Barton County (36-1) with a game-high 27 points and Malith added 22 points as both scored more than 10 points above their season points per game averages.
Barton County from Great Bend, Kan. – just 50 miles from Hutchinson – was the No. 1 seed and ended the season with a 27-game winning streak. In the nationally-televised ESPNU game, the Cougars beat the Trojans at their own specialty, three-point shooting. For the game Barton County was 11-for-22 from long range (50 percent). While Triton shot 8-for-28 from beyond the arc (29 percent).
The afternoon got off to a promising start with Williams scoring the first six Trojans points. A
William Scott three-pointer gave Triton a 17-11 lead. But then Sudan native Malith and Hutchinson product Thompson proceeded to bedevil the Trojans.
Malith hit all four of his three-point attempts while Thompson was 6-for-6 at the foul line as the Cougars grabbed a 30-27 lead they would never relinquish. Barton County nailed eight treys total in the first half to take a 46-39 lead into the locker room.
Barton County lengthened their margin to 69-54 with more than nine minutes left. The Trojans had to play undermanned as Dixon fouled out a minute previously.
"AJ fouling out in 19 minutes hurt us," said Burns.
But Conners flurry of six points cut the deficit to seven, and then five at 78-73 with 3:40 to go in the contest.
"I'm proud of the way the guys hung in there and kept competing," said Burns.
Unfortunately, the Trojans were able to get no closer as the Cougars, smelling the championship, finished the game with a 10-0 run.
Conners led the Trojans with 24 points. Augillard, whose prolific scoring helped boost the Trojans through close quarterfinal and semi-final victories, ended with 23 points. He had nine games with more than 30 points this season. Williams (team-leading five assists) and Dixon each had 10 points.
Tolu Samuels grabbed a team-high 16 rebounds.
Triton tried to survive the endurance test of simply reaching the championship game of the 24-team tournament. After getting a first-round bye, the seventh-seeded Trojans had a semi-comfortable 105-87 victory over Trinity Valley Community College on March 26. They squeaked by South Plains College 88-87 on March 27, then survived Connors State College 87-84 on March 28 in the semifinals.
The ESPNU nationwide telecast provided some great exposure for the Trojans and the college.
Burns said previously Triton was trying to become one of the NJCAA Division I's "bluebloods." Despite the disappointing finish, the coach's goal of being one of the top Division I programs apparently has been fulfilled as the Trojans should have plenty of opportunities to be in the mix for the top prize under Burns' watch.
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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle and Sports Information Specialist Tim McKinney)
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