The Barton Community College women's basketball team's third quarter twelve point lead wasn't enough Saturday afternoon at the Barton Gym as the Red Ravens from Coffeyville Community College stormed back for a 78-72 victory.
After building the big margin with 5:39 left in the third, Barton went cold and Coffeyville heated up to outscore the Cougars by eighteen points the rest of the way to snap their 5-game losing streak in the series.
Barton falls to 1-4 in conference play and 4-7 overall while Coffeyville improves to 4-2 in league and 10-2 on the season.
The Cougars wrap up their brief two-game home stand on Wednesday hosting Cloud County Community College in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
RECAP
Six Cougars jumped into the scoring column in the first quarter but neither team could gain more than a four point margin as Makenzie Davis' runner at the buzzer being the difference maker for a 21-19 Red Raven lead.
Coffeyville maintained their two point lead through the second frame's opening three minutes but the Cougars owned the next five behind a 13-0 run for a 37-26 lead. Barton spread the wealth in the stretch but the big daggers were provided by Lili Shubert knocking down two of her career high four three pointers sparking the run. Coffeyville tallied the final four points of the frame including another late bucket on the clock to slice Barton's lead to 37-30 into the locker room.
Barton built its largest lead in a span of twenty-one seconds in the third quarter, doubling up what was a six point advantage as Morgan Meyers buried behind consecutive three-pointers for a 48-36 score with 5:39 left. The Red Ravens sliced the deficit under ten twice the next two minutes, the final time being answered by a Shubert trey with 3:26 left. Coffeyville rattled off the next six points, interrupted by another Shubert trey, before scoring the next six and final points of the frame slicing the deficit to 56-54.
Coffeyville scored to open the fourth in tying it up, Lard's bucket put Barton back out in front before a pair of Red Raven free throws tied it again at 58. Lard again knocked down a jumper on the ensuing possession with 6:44 remaining but it would be Barton's final lead. Coffeyville scored the next six to jump out on top, Barton hanging in there following Jenny Nkem Womsi's inside shot and Brennan Kirchhoff's trey to trail by one two minutes later. Coffeyville pieced together the next five in their decisive 13-5 stretch for a 71-65 lead with 2:36 remaining.
Clamping down defensively, Barton had their chances following a Kirchhoff bucket and Shubert's conversion of an And-1 opportunity with 1:45 on the clock but couldn't capitalize on Shubert's' defensive play causing a Red Raven turnover. Coffeyville sank a pair of free throws with 54 seconds left, countered by Kirchhoff's pair of charity tosses ten seconds later, but the deciding shot found the twine with 37 seconds remaining giving the Red Ravens a three point edge. Barton came up empty on the next possession despite grabbing their 14th offensive rebound and Coffeyville's sealing of the game making 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch.
STATS
Neither team shot well on the night with Barton hitting at 39.1% with Coffeyville a shade better at 40.9%. The Cougars tied a season high 10 made three pointers on their 26 shots (38.5%) to outscore Coffeyville by 21 beyond the arc with the Red Ravens' two additional made field goals and plus nine advantage at the charity stripe providing the difference.
Shubert came off the bench producing a career high 17 points in 24 minutes of action in knocking down 4-of-8 behind the arc. Lard was next with 13 points followed by 12 points and 6 assists from Meyers and the 10 points and 5 steals from Kirchhoff. Womsi grabbed seven of her career high 17 rebounds on the offensive glass while tying her career best of 10 points in chalking up her first collegiate double-double performance.
Dariauna Carter's 18 points and 4 steals led four Red Ravens in double figures with Nakia Cullom adding 13 points and 4 assists while Cheyenne Banks brought 11 points off the bench. Faith Simpson contributed 11 points in posting a double-double hauling down 11 rebounds.