Lady Cougars pick up second straight road conference win; Spence reaches 300 milestone

Forcing twenty turnovers and twenty-five percent shooting, the Barton Community College women's basketball team defeated Butler Community College 55-39 Saturday night in El Dorado.  The victory evens the Lady Cougars conference record at 2-2 and improving to 12-6 overall while Butler slips to 0-3 in conference play and 11-6 overall.  The team's twelfth victory also marked the 300th junior college win for Barton first-year head coach Darin Spence.  Spence, who coached his first junior college game at Butler, also picked up his fourth win as a visiting coach to the Butler Gym.   Barton's next home game will be at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday against No. 3 Hutchinson as it will be "Pink Out" night at the Barton Gym.  In support of breast cancer awareness and Barton's Relay for Life team, a limited number of pink t-shirts will be distributed while supplies last.  Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support as informational and give-away booths will be available.

Highlights 
Barton led from start to finish as the Lady Cougars used an active defense and timely offensive production for the victory.   Barton's outside combination of Shea Shoemaker and Devan Boeger knocked down 4-of-5 three pointers to open up the inside game for Dionne Harris.  Harris, who led the Lady Cougars in scoring with sixteen, scored half her points in the first half a Barton took a 25-19 lead to the halftime break. 

Defensively Barton held Butler to 33% shooting despite a 3-for-4 performance from long distance.  Barton was also aided by the 2-of-10 performance by the Grizzlies at the free throw line.

After a Shoemaker drained her third three-pointer of the game to start the second half,  Butler went on a 9-4 run to cut the Barton lead to four at 32-28.  After a Barton timeout, Raven Anderson's trey started a 11-0 run  to extend Barton's lead back to fifteen at 43-28. 

Despite giving up seven offensive rebounds and sending Butler to the free throw line for ten attempts, the Lady Cougars were able to manage their lead and pick up the conference win to even their record at 2-2.

With Barton's win Coach Spence picked up his 300th career victory at the junior college level.  He is now 300-79 acquiring his first 117 wins at Butler and his next 171 at Cowley Community College.  Including his first season at Marymount College and his prior eight-years at New Mexico State University, Spence's career record is 438-222, good for a sixty-six percent win percentage, seventy-nine percent at the junior college level.

Scoring 
After a five point performance in her last outing, Dionne Harris' 16 points was the only Barton player in double figures as all players scored at least three points.  Shea Shoemaker led in rebounding with 8 rebounds to go along with her 9 points on 3-of-3 shooting from long distance.

Butler also had one player in double figures as nine players scored two or more points.  Jamillah Bonner led the Grizzlies with 11 points and team high 6 rebounds.  

Released:  January 15, 2012