Outscoring the No. 10 ranked team in the nation by six in the second half, the Barton Community College women's basketball team's rally came up short Wednesday night at the Barton Gym, falling 78-72 to Seward County Community College. Barton drops its second straight in conference play to fall to 2-2 and 14-6 overall while Seward County improves to 3-1 in conference play and 18-2 overall. The Lady Cougars return to the conference road on Sunday, traveling to Colby Community College for a 2:00 p.m. contest at the Colby Community Building.
Barton built a six point lead in the first six minutes of play as reserve players Phikala Anthony and Sharyce Warren sparked the 6-0 run. Following a Seward County timeout, the Lady Saints responded with a 9-0 run to regain the lead in the next three minutes. Featuring fifteen lead changes in the first half, the Lady Saints took control in the last six minutes of the half with a 14-1 run to lead 39-27.
Seward County built the lead out to twenty points in the first eight and a half minutes and continued to lead by twenty with 9:30 to play. Barton's Cheyenne Hedrington scored eight straight points, four points coming from two of Kailai Brantner's team high six assists. Following a Seward timeout and back-to-back buckets from Shanise Brooks, Hedrington started a 10-0 Barton run sinking 4-of-4 free throws and scoring off another Brantner assist. Brandy Winbush, who has hit a three-pointer in eighteen of Barton's twenty games, drained a left wing trey as momentum swung heavily in Barton's favor. Following another big defensive stop, Ashton Bruner connected on 2-of-2 free throws as Barton had drawn to 66-61 with 3:39 to play.
After two Alana Simon free throws, Barton's fate was pretty much sealed as the Lady Cougars missed on three opportunities on the next possession but still had hope trailing by eight with 1:32 to play. Needing another big defensive stop, Seward County's Janel Tammen put the dagger in the heart of the Lady Cougars draining a 23' three-pointer at the top of the key as the shot clock was expiring giving the Lady Saints an eleven point lead. The Lady Cougars continued to battle scoring eight points in last minute including a Warren trey with six seconds to close the gap to four as Seward County struggled from the charity stripe down the stretch until Simon's pair of throws ended the game 78-72.
Cheyenne Hedrington scored a career high thirty-two points to lead only two Lady Cougars in double figures for the second straight game. Ashton Bruner, who had struggled of late from the free throw line, converted 8-of-10 free throws to finish with fourteen points and a team leading four steals. Both Hedrington and Bruner led in rebounds with nine each while Kailai Brantner dished out six assists. Taylor Mayes also contributed a solid all-around game scoring eight points and seven rebounds despite playing only twenty minutes. Mariana Lambert was held scoreless for the first time this year as the freshman had an off-night from the field going 0-for-7.
The Seward County scoring was pretty well expected as the Lady Saints have six players averaging in double-figures and six players scored in double-figures Wednesday night. The team's leading scorer Shanise Brooks again came up with a big night scoring seventeen to lead the Lady Saints. Alana Simon, who converted on 8-of11 from the free throw line, scored fourteen. Fabiana Monte added twelve and Korina Chapman scored ten. The Lady Saints also received a couple sparks off the bench as Rebekah Hatchard knocked down 2-of-2 three-pointers to score eleven points while Janel Tammen added to her three-point dagger with eight rebounds to tie Chapman for team high honors.