Defensive second half carries Barton women to road victory at Neosho

Getting back to its defensive roots the Barton Community College women's basketball team put Neosho County Community College in second half lockdown Saturday in Chanute, Kansas, as the Lady Cougars pulled away in the final fifteen minutes winning 60-47.   Leading by two at the break, Barton never trailed in the game and was tied only twice early in the third quarter as the Lady Cougars held Neosho to only sixteen total second half points enroute to the victory.   Barton improves to 2-4 in conference play and 10-7 on the season while sending Neosho to its fourth straight loss dropping to 1-6 in Jayhawk play and 3-7 overall.   Barton will get back to more familiar play on Wednesday as Garden City Community College comes to the Barton Gym for a 5:30 p.m. tip as the Lady Cougars will play twelve out of their remaining thirteen games against Western Division foes.

Kilee Harris gave Barton the early lift as the Protection sophomore drilled three long balls from essentially the same spot in front of the Neosho bench giving Barton an early 9-0 lead.  The Lady Panthers rallied with a 7-0 run to tie it at ten but Barton closed out the quarter scoring eight of the next nine to lead 18-13.

Barton ballooned the lead out to nine early in the second as Regan Unruh drilled her first of four treys in the game.  The lead shrunk back to two then back up to eight again following a Jalisa Jones personal four-point surge and an Unruh power move in the paint.  However the Lady Panthers would gain the momentum into the locker room scoring six of the next eight narrowing Barton's lead to 33-31 at the break.

McKinna Kraus answered Neosho's opening second half bucket and after Neosho tied the game for the last time on the ensuing possession, the Lady Cougars gained its cushion with a 6-0 run.  Jones started the run with a trey and following a Neosho turnover, Harris added three more the hard way getting fouled on a drive to the hoop and converting the free throw.

Consecutive three-balls from Alexus Bryson and Unruh stretched the lead to twelve in the opening moment of the fourth.  Despite Neosho getting a couple of second chance points, the Barton defense never allowed the lead to be less than nine while clamping down holding the Lady Panthers scoreless the final four-plus minutes and its second straight quarter of scoring only eight points.

Harris led the Lady Cougars with sixteen points on a solid seven rebound and four steal night while connecting on 3-of-6 behind the arc.  Unruh's 2-of-3 behind the line scored twelve while the Great Bend freshman just missed her first double-double hauling down nine rebounds.  Jones added nine points as did Kraus coming off the bench to also grab five rebounds and rejected three Neosho shots.

Kascity Martin led three Lady Panthers in double-digit scoring with fifteen despite 3-of-12 shooting from long distance.  Ashlynd Horton added eleven and Jhanai Felix scored ten coming off the bench.