Left for dead headed to the fourth quarter, the Barton Community College women's basketball eighteen point deficit rally fell short in the last moment of play Saturday afternoon at the Civic Center as nationally receiving votes Dodge City Community College held off the Lady Cougars 74-70. The victory snapped a four game Barton win streak over Dodge City including a two game streak on the Conquistadors' home court as the Lady Cougars lost for the fifth time in conference play by six or less points in dropping to 2-6 in Jayhawk play and 10-9 overall while Dodge City improves to 5-3 and 15-4 on the season. Next up for Barton will be a two-game home stand beginning with a 5:30 p.m. tip Wednesday versus Colby Community College before Saturday's 1:30 p.m. matinee against Seward county Community College.
Kilee Harris again kick started the Lady Cougars to begin the game knocking down a trey in scoring Barton's first five points. Free throws by Jalisa Jones, a trey and jumper by Regan Unruh, and inside bucket by McKinna Kraus led a 10-0 Barton run seizing the lead by five but Dodge City closed out the quarter on a 6-0 to go ahead 18-17. The Lady Conquistadors then used a mid-quarter four point stretch to build the lead to four holding on to the edge for a 33-29 advantage.
The third quarter was all Dodge City as a 12-0 run built the lead out to 60-45 but the Lady Cougars scored the quarter's last four to trail 63-49 heading into the final ten minutes.
The game seemed out of reach as the Lady Conquistadors expanded the lead to eighteen with seven minutes to play. Knocking down her second trey of the game, Unruh spurred an unbelievable come back for Barton. A jumper from Keneisha Winfrey ensued then it became the Dominique Baker show as the Mississippi sophomore scored Barton's next five baskets drawing Barton to within five. A Harris bucket followed by a steal and layup by Unruh capped the Lady Cougars' 19-2 run closing the gap to 71-70 with 1:20 to play.
Following a defensive stop, Barton had the chance to seize the lead but Megan Jirak's fifth offensive rebound of the game and ensuing missed field goal sent the Lady Conquistadors to the charity stripe. Making only 1-of-2, Barton again had an opportunity to tie or take the lead but couldn't convert. With Dodge City again sinking only one of two free throw opportunities, Barton's last chance to tie came up empty as Unruh's trey missed its mark. The Lady Conquistadors again left the door ajar with another 1-of-2 trip to the line with twenty seconds but Barton was unable to make a dent in the final four point loss.
Harris led four Lady Cougars in double-digit scoring going 3-of-6 from long range for seventeen points to go along with seven rebounds. With her second consecutive double-digit scoring night, Baker scored all of her fifteen points in second half action including twelve in the fourth quarter leading the comeback. Jones added fourteen including 4-4 from the charity strip while Unruh contributed twelve as the freshman was 2-of-4 behind the arc leading the team with four steals. Jirak led Barton in two categories grabbing eleven rebounds to reach double digits for the twelfth time in nineteen games and dished out a team high three assists.
Dodge City was led by Antania Newton's twenty-five points as the conference's leading three-point shooter connected on 6-of-9 from long distance while dishing out five assists and team leading three steals. Rachel Slattery provided big damage from the inside putting up a double-double seventeen point nineteen rebound performance to go along with two steals and three blocks. Kyra Fennell rounded out the double digit scoring with twelve. Alexus Johnson dished out six assists with Fantasia Johnson grabbing ten rebounds in helping the Conquistadors to a sixteen rebound advantage 55-39.