The Barton Community College women's basketball team got revenge from the 2020 title game loss in knocking off the defending champion and 9th ranked Butler Community College Grizzlies 53-49 Friday evening at Friends University in Wichita.
The seventh straight victory sends the now 20-5 third seeded Cougars into the 6:00 p.m. Saturday title game against fourth seeded 19-6 Pirates of Independence Community College as the Cougars seek their first since 2008. Butler slips to 20-3 on the year as the Jayhawk East Champions await Sunday's NJCAA Selection Show to see their placement in the national tournament.
Both teams showed why they each rank among the top four in most defensive categories, holding the other's offensive production to just the 102 combined points and sub-par shooting. Barton made just 32.7% of their shots with Butler only connecting on 27.1%. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Cougars by five on the boards, including grabbing 21 offensive rebounds, but the Cougars countered with a fifteen point edge behind the arc on 8-of-23 shooting while Butler sinking just 3-of-19 from long range.
Queen Ulabo notched her ninth double-double of the season, leading all scorers with 19 points while pulling down five of her 13 rebounds from the offensive glass. Vanessa Oduah added 13 points with two steals and Tiffany Dortland distributing a team high four assists. Cora Anderson pulled down seven defensive rebounds and added four points as the freshman score the eventual game winning bucket with 49 seconds left pushing the lead to four and sank both charity tosses with 16 seconds on the clock to seal the victory.
Mekayla Furman was the lone Grizzly to reach double figures in providing 14 points off the bench. Tamara Nard and Paris Mullins each provided eight points with Nard hauling down a game high 15 rebounds.
RECAP by Alex Hammeke
Butler jumped out to a quick 4-0 run to start the ball game, as Barton would turn over the ball on the first possession, and would miss a shot on their second possession. Ulabo would take care of business on the Cougars' third possession with a layup.
After a Butler layup, Barton would take the lead, going on a 12-1 run. Ulabo's three point shot would bring Barton within one, and Butler would burn their first timeout. That could not stop the Barton run, as Oduah and Gabby Flute Player would hit back-to-back treys to give Barton a four point lead. Ulabo would finish out the run she started with a free throw and a bucket after a scoring drought that lasted roughly three minutes.
The Grizzlies and Cougars would trade buckets in the final ninety seconds of action in the first, and the Grizzlies would cut their deficit down to one point midway through the second, but Ulabo would respond with back to back three pointers. Butler would cut the game back down to four, but a trey from Brennan Kirchhoff would give the Cougars a 30-23 advantage heading into the intercession.
The Cougars would start off the third quarter giving up the leadoff bucket to Butler, but the Cougars would push the lead back out to ten points with a 5-0 run. Ulabo would start off the run with a free throw, followed up by two straight buckets from Oduah. Butler would use a 6-0 run of their own to cut the lead down to four points, but Kirchhoff would hit another timely three ball to kick the ball game out to seven.
Barton would have to hold off a boisterous rally from Furman in the fourth quarter. Furman, who led the Grizzlies in scoring, scored 10 of her 14 points in the final frame. Barton would push the lead back out to ten a third time with three minutes to go off Oduah free throws, with a Lyndi Rumford bucket sandwiched in-between. Furman would come alive after finding her Grizzlies down ten on the scoreboard, and went off on an 8-0 personal run. Barton would look down low to Anderson and the Otis Freshman would score her first bucket when it mattered most, giving Barton a two possession lead. Butler would look to cut the lead back down to two, but Anderson would pick up her seventh defensive rebound, would quickly be fouled, and would make a perfect pair of charity shots to push Barton's lead to six. Butler would halve the deficit to three with a three pointer, but Barton would prevail, with Oduah hitting the final charity shot.