The third time was not the charm for the Barton Community College women's basketball team as the Cougars fell 82-66 in the Region VI Championship game to 25th ranked Hutchinson Community College Saturday at Salina's Tony's Pizza Event Center.
Having advanced to the title match three straight seasons, the Cougars got off to a good start but the Blue Dragons were even hotter in knocking down 6-of-7 first quarter three-pointers grabbing a seven point lead. Barton cut the deficit to five into halftime but Hutchinson tacked on five to its lead after three frames before the Cougars battled back in the fourth in trimming it to nine early in the final quarter. Hutchinson responded with a 13-2 three-plus minute stretch as second half Barton turnovers aided a twenty point margin with under five minutes to play.
The Cougars concluded the 2022 campaign at 20-13 while Hutchinson improves to 28-5 in winning their first Region VI title since 2017, advancing to the NJCAA Championships March 16-21 in Lubbock, Texas.
Two Cougars landed on the All-Tournament team, Acorionna Lard who led Barton on championship night with 15 points and 8 rebounds and Jenny Nkem Womsi who was held to 9 points and 7 rebounds. Brennan Kirchhoff closed out her Barton career matching Lard with a team high 15 points while Morgan Meyers finished with 12 points.
Barton shot above their season average with a 47.2% night but only knocked down 3-of-12 in a eighteen point swing from beyond the arc as Hutchinson canned nine from deep on their 49.2% shooting night.
The Blue Dragons got off to the hot start from long range, adding in the first three points of the second quarter in knocking down 7-of-their-first-8 three pointers but connecting on just 2-of-9 in second half play. The early deep shots opened up other areas of the floor for Hutchinson, crashing the offensive boards on key possessions and sinking 9-of-11 from the free throw line as Barton went 13-of-18.
Final stats had the teams gridlocked on the boards at 31 each as Barton either outrebounded or tied their opponent in 28 of the 33 season's games.
Tournament Most Valuable Player Mya Williams led all scorers with 21 points, canning 3-of-8 from long distance. Kaylyn Ervin led in rebounds with 8 while scoring 15 points with Mele Kailahi adding 13 points. Coming off the bench giving the Blue Dragons a ten point differential, Janaya Washington canned 3-of-3 three pointers in first half play creating separation on the scoreboard in finishing with 11 points.