Upset bid falls short, Barton women drop 79-77 contest to NOC-Enid

The Barton Community College women's basketball team nearly pulled the upset over nationally receiving votes Northern Oklahoma College-Enid falling 79-77 Saturday night at the Barton Gym.  Splitting their two contests in the Best Western Pizza Hut Classic, Barton will embark on their first road trip of the season heading to La Junta, Colorado, for the Otero Classic held Friday and Saturday. 

Down by three at the half, the Lady Cougars tied the contest at 63 with 5:48 to play but an 8-0 Jets run in less than two minutes gave NOC its largest lead of the game.  Behind two three-pointers by Great Bend freshman Regan Unruh and seven points from fellow freshman Megan Jirak, Barton drew to within one with twenty-two seconds to play. 

A pair of Rylie Torrey free throws with sixteen seconds pushed the lead back out to three but ten seconds later Barton was back to within two as freshman Alexus Bryson connected on the first of her two free throws.  Sending the Jets back to the line off the ensuing defensive rebound, NOC's Alexis Hill couldn't add to her game high twenty-seven points missing both charity opportunities.

With Jirak securing her tenth rebound contributing to her second double-double performance, Byson's drive to the potential tying shot ended on a a charge call returning the ball to the Jets with less than a second on the clock wrapping up the NOC victory.

In the first women's game of the day Redlands bounced back from the previous night's loss to Barton with a decisive 93-57 victory over Pratt Community College.  

Barton's next game will come on Friday taking on host Otero Junior College at 6:00 p.m. followed by a 2:00 p.m. Saturday against Trinidad State Junior College.