New Mexico JC pulls away in second half to top Barton CC, 103-90, in NJCAA Tournament
Story & photos by Dale Grosbach
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — New Mexico Junior College dominated the second half Saturday to defeat Barton Community College 103-90 in the opening round of the 2026 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Thunderbirds, seeded 18th, improved to 27-6 and will face No. 2 seed College of Southern Idaho on Monday afternoon in the second round. Barton CC finished its season 24-10.
Both teams came out in a high-paced attack, each looking to exploit the other's weaknesses. New Mexico JC struck first and held the lead for most of the opening half. Barton CC briefly took the lead at 4:29 of the first half on a pair of free throws by redshirt freshman Noah Williams, who finished as the Cougars' top scorer with 23 points. The Thunderbirds quickly responded, and sophomore RJ Nance buried a 3-pointer at 1:43 to push the lead to seven. New Mexico JC led 40-36 at halftime.
In the second half, the Thunderbirds asserted control, building a 10-point advantage in the first four minutes and never looking back. New Mexico JC capitalized on second-chance scoring opportunities while Barton CC struggled with foul trouble.
Nance led New Mexico JC with 23 points. Redshirt sophomore Delang Muon added 18, freshman Ladji Couibaly contributed 15 points and nine rebounds, and redshirt sophomore Michael Mackey chipped in 10. Sophomore Grigorije Avramovic paced the Thunderbirds with eight assists.
Six Barton CC players scored in double figures. Williams led with 23 points, and sophomore Aris Rodriguez, sophomore Brian Sullivan Jr., freshman Sebastian Muchitsch and redshirt freshman Blake Rucker also reached double digits. Muchitsch and Rucker each grabbed six rebounds, while Sullivan handed out six assists.
New Mexico JC entered the tournament as an at-large qualifier after finishing as runner-up in the NJCAA Plains District Tournament. Barton CC, a member of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, was seeded 15th with a 24-9 record.
Barton CC All-Conference selections Williams and Rodriguez were recognized by the KJCCC, with Williams earning conference Newcomer of the Year honors. Muon and Nance were named to the NJCAA Southwest District All-Tournament Team.
