Early deficit costs Lady Cougars, fall to Independence

The Barton Community College women's basketball team dug a sixteen point first-half hole Saturday night at the Barton Gym in dropping a 92-84 decision to Independence Community College.  After picking up a convincing win in Friday's game of the Best Western Angus Inn/Cougar Booster Club Thanksgiving Classic, the Lady Cougars were hit with early foul trouble and struggled form the field as the Lady Pirates built the mountain for Barton to climb.  Drawing to within five early in the second half, Independence would answer each run by the Lady Cougars to quickly extend the lead back to double-digits most of night.  With the loss Barton drops to 9-2 on the season while Independence improves to 7-2. The Lady Cougars will travel to El Dorado, Kansas, on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. matchup against the 10-1 Butler Community College Grizzlies.

Phikala Anthony came off the bench to lead four Lady Cougars in double figures with a career high twenty-two points.  Kailai Brantner also posted a career high scoring twenty points to go along with eight assists and zero turnovers.  Cheyenne Hedrington scored thirteen while Mariana Lambert followed her previous night's career high performance with eleven points and a team high seven rebounds.   

Sabrina Berry, who only scored two points in Friday's game, lead all scorers with thirty-four points on 14-of-23 shooting while also grabbing nine rebounds.  Didem Nakas came off the bench to score nineteen while Jasmine Martin, who scored thirty-two points on Friday, scored fourteen.  Deja Robinson also had a big effort off the bench scoring eight points to go along with a game high eleven rebounds.  Kelsey Larson scored six but led the Lady Pirate's twenty-two assist night with nine.  

In the earlier game of the Classic, Neosho County Community College rebounded from Friday's loss to Barton with a 101-96 victory over Brown Mackie College.  With the win Neosho improved to 6-6 while Brown Mackie dropped to 5-4.   

Neosho's Ashley Grant looked unstoppable against the Lions in scoring forty-two points on 14-of-25 shooting from the field and 13-of-17 from the free throw line.  Grant also added a double-double to her big night grabbing twelve rebounds, as well as, leading both teams in steals with six.  Daryane Yarbrough scored fifteen off the bench for the Panthers while Madigan Gonzales added eleven.

Ericka Torres led four Brown Mackie players in double figures scoring twenty-seven, most coming from behind the arc as she sank seven of twenty attempts.  Cheyenne Tull scored eighteen with a team high seven rebounds while Hannah Mortimer came off the bench to score fourteen.  Catarina Garcia added eleven while leading the Lions in assists with five.