Head Coach Alan Clark and three members of the Barton Community College women's basketball team recently received post-season recognition on the KJCCC All-West selections list.
The accolades began following the Cougars' second straight Region VI Division I runner-up finish, completing the 2020-21 campaign at 20-6.
Picked to finish 3rd in the Jayhawk West, Clark led his Cougars in challenging for the league title throughout the season, eventually finishing one game back in the standings at 16-5 in second place. Barton swept conference winner Hutchinson for the first time since 2009 and split with fellow second place finisher Seward County.
The big three of Tiffany Dortland, Vanessa Oduah, and Queen Ulabo each garnered their first post-season award of their Cougar career, landing on the first team. The combo excelled in their sophomore campaign helping Barton to a multitude of season successes including leading the team within the top four of most conference offensive and defensive categories.
The trio accounted for 66% of Barton's 72.6 points per game led by Ulabo's 16.3 production followed by Oduah's 16.1 and Dortland's 15.6 averages.
Ulabo not only led the team in points but in rebounds, pulling down 9.0 per game to post ten double-doubles over the course of the season including consecutive double digit points and rebounds in the semifinals and championship game to close out her Cougar career. Arriving to Barton from Baylesa, Nigeria, Ulabo reached double figure points in 23 of the Cougars' 26 games chalking up a career 30 points in the season's third game of the year versus Allen. Equally impressive was Ulabo's glass cleaning abilities hauling down over ten rebounds in a game twelve times, matching a season best 13 boards three times, six less than her program fifth best total of 20 rebounds in her freshman season.
Oduah set the stage for a successful sophomore season last year, stepping up as freshman to can the game winning late three-pointer in knocking off No. 9 Hutchinson in the semifinals. The confidence carried over to her final Barton campaign, ranking 2nd in Region VI distributing 4.5 assists including a career high nine capping the season sweep over Hutchinson. Twenty-two times the native of Asaba, Nigeria, reached double-figures over the course of the season, chalking up a career high 33 points in twenty-three minutes against Neosho County.
Perhaps the most improved and all-around X-factor for the Cougars was Dortland. The Russell, Kansas, native took her game to an all-around level her sophomore season to not only put up the 15 points per night, but averaged a team best 2.0 steals, a second best 3.0 assists, and a third best 5.5 rebounds per outing. Knocking down 50 three-pointers her freshman campaign, Dortland added 54 more this season to finish with a program fifth best total made shots beyond the arc.
Complete All-KJCCC Jayhawk West selections