The Barton Community College women's basketball team utilized a balance scoring effort Saturday afternoon at the Barton Gym as the Cougars rebounded with a 70-59 victory over Cloud County Community College.
The victory moves the Cougars to 4-3 in conference play and 5-3 on the season while the loss drops the T-Birds to 3-3 in KJCCC action and 4-3 overall. Barton will have a quick turnaround as they head on the road Monday in a 6:00 p.m. tip against nationally receiving votes Seward County Community College.
Four different Cougars helped propel Barton to an early 10-1 advantage just five minutes into the opening stanza. Holding Cloud County without a field goal over the opening 5:27, the T-Birds offense came to life knocking a pair of 3-pointers to pull within 13-11 over the following 1:10 during a 7-0 scoring run. The two teams would seesaw over the final three minutes of the opening frame as freshman Brennan Kirchhoff, who would go on to score a career high nine points, tallied four of her seven points in the final two minutes guiding Barton to a 19-17 lead after the opening ten.
Barton's lead would increase back to two possessions following a pair of Vanessa Oduah tosses and bucket from Gabby Flute Player; however, another pair of T-Bird triples trimmed the Barton lead back to within one possession 25-23. Unlike in Wednesday's contest where the Cougars were the uphill climbers, the roles reversed on Saturday as Tiffany Dortland and Oduah banged the answering trifectas sparking an 8-3 Cougar run growing the lead to 33-26 with 2:52 remaining in the opening half. Cloud would outscore Barton 7-6 over the final 2:30 as the Cougars took a 36-30 lead into the locker rooms.
Trading buckets to open the third quarter, Barton's balanced attack remained contagious as the Cougars lead reached double-digits 44-32 following six straight with baskets coming from Dortland, Oduah and Queen Ulabo. Cloud would trim the margin back to single digits twice before a seven spot from the Cougars and Rebecca Leveque 3-pointer capped a 10-2 run to grow the Barton lead to 58-41 after the third.
Looking to send the T-Birds back to their nests, a pair of Kirchhoff throws to open the fourth provided Barton its' largest lead of 60-41 just a minute into the quarter. Coasting to the large advantage, the Barton margin would shrink back to single digits 66-57, following a Cloud 13-4 run with 2:36 to play. The Cougars held firm down the final two-minutes outscoring the visitors 4-2 in pulling away to a final score of 70-59.
Eight Cougars finished in the scoring column with three reaching double-figures. Oduah notched her first double-double of the season and third of her Barton career scoring a game high 16 points to go along with her team high 10 rebounds. Dortland tallied 12 points nine of which coming in the second half, while Ulabo rounded out the double-digit scoring adding 11.
Le'Yanna McGinnis secured her fourth double-double of the season hauling down a game high 12 boards to go along with a team high 14 points.