MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Yunio Barrueta is making a case for himself for something grandeur at Barry University.

Barrueta scored a career-high 41 points for the second straight game as the No. 5/12-ranked Buccaneers beat Florida Tech, 104-88, Wednesday night. He was 17 of 28 from the field, falling one basket shy of the school's all-time record. Jason Junker had 18 field goals against Nova Southeastern on Nov. 19, 2000. 

Barrueta became the first player in NCAA Division II to score 40 points three times this season. He is the only player in school history to score 40 points in a game more than once. Barrueta also became the first player in Barry history to score over 500 points in two seasons. He has 536 points this year. Anthel Hicks holds the season record with 610 in 1991-92.

In the midst of all the history, the Bucs (18-3, 10-2 Sunshine State Conference) maintained control of first place in the league, winning their sixth straight game. Barry shot 50.6 percent from the field, going 40 of 79. Florida Tech (12-12, 4-9) was 38 of 73 for 52.1 percent.

Barry overcame a 32-31 deficit late in the first half when Barrueta canned one of his five triples. Florida Tech's Corbin Jackson, who finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, scored 14 seconds later to tie the game. After Barry's Tray Leonard and Jackson traded baskets, Leonard scored twice more in the last 37 seconds of the half to send the Bucs into the break up four.

Florida Tech converted 11 of its 15 field goals in the first half from inside the paint. Barry hit 12 of its 17 first half field goals in the paint. Both teams had 22 points in the paint in the first half.

The Buccaneers opened up a 17-point lead with 13:37 left when Arie Williams knocked down a triple. The Panthers got within 11 when Jackson converted a three-point play at the 12:04 mark to cap an 8-2 run. Barry pushed its lead back to 17 on a 3-pointer by Barrueta with 8:25 remaining, but Florida Tech responded with a 9-0 run to trim the gap to 81-73 at the 6:18 mark. 

Leonard threw down a dunk on the next possession to stop Tech's spurt, pushing the Bucs' lead back to double digits, but FIT's Patrick Anderson and Jordan Majors scored the game's next two baskets to cut the lead down to six. Barrueta converted a three-point play and rammed home a dunk after a steal by Williams to push Barry back in front by 11. Florida Tech closed to within seven at the 3:41 mark, but Barrueta and Leonard threw down three more dunks to extend the lead back to 14, and the Buccaneers coasted home.

Barrueta and Leonard combined for a season-high eight dunks in the game, including six in the second half. Leonard finished with a career-high 21 points, and had nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal. He was 9 of 14 from the field, but fell a rebound short of his sixth straight double-double. 

Barry's Undra Mitchem scored 15 points, hitting five of 10 triples. Elvar Fridriksson had 13 points, 10 assists and three steals for his fourth double-double of the season.

The Buccaneers had 34 assists, which fell four shy of the school record set in 1999. 

Barry plays at Nova Southeastern 4 p.m. Saturday.