Cougars continue dominance; win for 27th straight time
The Barton County Community College women's basketball team continued its dominance this season with a 31-point road win to start the Jayhawk West season. Barton went into the Lesh Sports Arena and beat Pratt, 89-58 to tip off conference play at 1-0 and improve to a perfect 15-0 this season. That stretch coupled with the 12-straight Barton won to end last season is the 2nd longest winning streak in Cougar history. The longest streak in Barton history came in the 1989-90 season when Barton won 32 straight games. The 15 consecutive wins in a single season is just 2 away from Top 5 status as well. Barton will play its West home opener Saturday when Dodge City pays a visit to the Barton Gym. Tip will be at 6 pm.
Highlights
While the Cougars may have given up 31 1st half points, the opening half was all about defense – and converting off that defense – for Barton. The Cougars scored an incredible 30 points off 13 Pratt turnovers in the 1st half – more than 2 points per turnover. Barton converted 12 of the 13 turnovers into points, with10 points coming off in what at times look like layup drills off steals. Courtney Sturdivant was the beneficiary of 4 of those 5 layups. On four more occasions, the Cougars converted a 3-pointer at the other end off the Pratt turnover. Kristine Silaraja converted 3 of those treys. On yet another occasion, Barton's Brooke Conley stole the ball and was fouled shooting a 3-pointer, netting all 3 free throws.
That impression conversion rate allowed Barton to shoot 53 percent in the opening half and an amazing 62 percent (8-of-13) from behind the 3-point line. Ipek Turkyilmaz led the 3-point barrage with 5 treys in the opening with Silaraja adding her 3 off turnovers. Turkyilmaz, Sturdivant, and Silaraja combined to score 46 of the Cougars 50 1st half points. It was 46 of 47 points before Conley made her 3 free throws to cap the half.
In the 2nd half, Barton led by as many as 37 points at 81-44 with 10:19 to play in the game. The Cougars coasted in, scoring just 8 points the final 10 minutes and did not make a field goal in the final 7 minutes of the game – hitting just 4 free throws in that time.
Turkyilmaz matched her career high with 23 points, hitting 6 treys before the night was over – also matching a career high and just 1 short of the Barton record of 7 in a single game. Sturdivant was just 2 shy of her career high, also finishing with 23 points. Silaraja added 18. Those 3 also combined for 21 assists with Turkyilmaz and Silaraja each collecting 8. Turkyilmaz led the Cougars with 6 steals followed by Jessica Halsig with 5 and Conley with 4. Pratt was led by Ashley Scroggins with 17 points.
Stats
Stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu/sports
Next
Sat Jan 5 – v Dodge City, 6 pm (Jayhawk West contest at the Barton Gym)