PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Mineral Area, Mo. surprised the No. 18 Barton Cougars 70-66 with a closing 11-5 offensive burst. The Cougars (2-1) play State Fair, Mo. at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the newly renovated Fleske Fieldhouse. Barton jumped out of the gates quickly, racing to a 17-7 advantage by the 11:04 mark of the first half. Mineral Area countered with an 11-0 stretch to grab its first lead, but the Cougars closed the half strong, finishing on an 11-2 run over the final 2:40 to take a 33-26 lead into the locker rooms. The Cardinals used a 12-2 surge to lead 40-37. Barton responded with four straight 3-pointers two by Blake Rucker for a 53-53 tie. Noah Williams converted back-to-back baskets for a 61-59 lead with 1:55 to play. Mineral Area took charge with an 8-0 burst in 45-seconds for a 67-61 lead. The Cougars trimmed it to two with 2.8 seconds remaining, but a pair of Cardinal free throw tosses spoiled one final Barton rally.