The Barton Community College women's basketball team staged together a dominating fourth quarter performance Wednesday night in Garden City, picking up a 55-46 victory at Garden City Community College. The victory marks the fifth straight win in the series and fourth straight victory in Garden City.
Opening Jayhawk West play, the Cougars improve to 5-3 in conference and move to 6-3 on the season while the loss dips the Broncbusters to 3-4 in league play and 4-4 on the year. Barton will return home for a 2:00 p.m. tip vs Colby Community College.
Offense would be hard to come by for both squads, as neither team could muster more than 14 points in the opening three frames.
Barton grasped the early 6-5 advantage halfway through the opening stanza behind buckets from Queen Ulabo, Vanessa Oduah and Cora Anderson. The Cougar lead would be short livid as a 3:12 scoring drought guided Garden City back in front during a 6-0 spurt. An Oduah triple snapped the Cougar scoring drought in the final minute trimming the deficit to four, 14-11 at the quarter's conclusion.
Garden City grabbed control utilizing a 6-0 run to open the second during an additional Barton dry spurt lasting over three minutes. An Oduah bucket at 7:43 kept things within single digits until a Broncbuster triple stretched the margin to double-digits 23-13. Trailing by as many as 11 with 2:30 left in the half a Ulabo old fashion three-point play sparked life into the Cougar offense, as Barton closed the half on a 6-0 run slicing the margin to 28-24 at the break.
The Cougars looked to have the offensive woes figured out in the opening minute of the third succeeding a Tiffany Dortland basket making it eight straight for Barton. Another Barton scoreless stretch lasting over three minutes let Garden City increase the lead back to two-possessions 32-26. Roles rapidly altered behind a Barton timeout, as sophomore Gabby Flute Player converted the Cougars second And-1 of the contest drawing Barton to within three. Cutting the margin to one resulting in an Ulabo bucket, the Broncbusters tallied their final bucket of the third snapping a 4:06 cold spurt pushing the lead back to three. A 1-of-2 trip to the line by Ulabo and Flute Player bucket capped a 10-6 scoring period resulting in a 34-34 tie.
Just 21-seconds into the fourth Oduah gave Barton its' first lead since the 4:56 mark of the opening frame. The Broncbusters answered with five of the next seven gaining what would be their last lead of the contest as Flute Player took over for Barton scoring five of the next eight during an 8-2 stretch giving the Cougars a 46-40 advantage. Flute Player remained Barton's hot hand connecting on her second trifecta of the quarter growing the lead back to three. Dortland sealed the Cougars' 55-46 victory scoring the final six points as Barton outscored Garden City 21-12 in the final quarter.
Flute Player finished with a new career high 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field including a 2-for-3 performance from long distance. Oduah added 12 points with Dortland and Ulabo rounding out the double figure scoring for the Cougars finishing with 10 apiece. Oduah led the Cougars in rebounds with nine to go along with her team leading four assists.
Garden's Justis Odom notched a double-double in the losing effort finishing with 14 points to go along with a game high 10 rebounds.