Not since 1998 had the Barton Community College women's basketball team enjoyed a victory at Coffeyville Community College. Wednesday night the Cougars broke the seven game losing streak at Nellis Hall Gymnasium as Barton's late run was enough to earn a 53-50 victory over the Red Ravens.
The victory improves Barton to 1-1 in their pair of road games to start the conference season and 7-2 overall while dropping Coffeyville to 1-2 in the Jayhawk East and 1-10 on the season. Barton will next have its home conference opener this Saturday in a 5:30 p.m. tip hosting Independence Community College (1-2, 6-4).
Six straight put the Cougars in a five point hole with 3:30 to play as the Ravens had seized momentum amidst the 12-2 stretch in looking to put the game away. Ryen White stopped the surge knocking down her second three-ball of the game then found a cutting Taylor Regan in the paint on the next possession to tie it up with 2:32 to play. Solid on the defensive end all night, Irene Chukwudi owned the paint down the stretch with a big block on one end then finding Regan on the low block giving Barton the two point lead with 1:10 remaining.
Chukwudi would come up big again on the ensuing Raven possession, alter one shot before swatting away her fifth of the game. The Cougars hauled down two defensive rebounds on the trip to the west end of the gym but the Ravens were quick to make the steal with a Barton committing a foul with 6.2 seconds clinging to the two point lead. Making just one of the two free throws cutting the deficit to one, Coffeyville was left to foul the Barton inbound sending Jaylin Stapleton to the line with 4.8 seconds left. The sophomore from Meade swished the charity throws with Coffeyville's desperation heave at the buzzer well off the mark for the Barton victory.
Barton committed twelve of their twenty-five turnovers in first half play as a 19-all first quarter tie turned into a Raven five point lead at the break as the Cougars were held to just six second frame points.
The Cougars quickly erased the deficit with Chukwudi, White, and Stapleton leading an 8-0 run out of the greak to gain the lead. Exchanging buckets on the scoreboard with the Ravens, Barton held the lead going into the fourth quarter.
Regan chalked up her fifth double-double of the season in leading Barton with fifteen points to go along with ten rebounds. White added eleven with seven rebounds while leading the team with three big steals. Stapleton scored ten with four assists with Chukwudi scorgin eight and matching Regan with ten boards helping Barton to a twenty-two rebound advantage.
Brooklyn Wade's thirteen points was the lone Raven in double-figures with her five rebounds and six assists also leading the squad.