The 17th ranked Barton Community College women's basketball team recovered from a halftime deficit Saturday afternoon limit Seward County Community College to just fifteen second half points in rolling on to a 68-48 victory at the Barton Gym.
Barton trailed by five at halftime, reversed the tide behind a 10-0 third quarter run and never trailed again to complete the season series over the Saints.
The Cougars' seventh straight victory moves Barton into sole possession of second place of the conference standings at 17-4 and 23-4 on the year while Seward County slides into sixth place at 12-10 and 14-14 overall.
Barton hits the road next to Goodland, Kansas, for a Wednesday 6:30 p.m. (CT) tip at Northwest Kansas Technical College before hosting its final regular season home game on Saturday versus Colby Community College. The Cougars wrap up regular season play Wednesday, March 1, at first place Dodge City Community College.
Acorionna Lard led all scorers on the afternoon with 18 points, draining 3-of-6 behind the arc including a first quarter buzzer beater giving Barton a 17-14 edge, and grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.
Having her seven game double-double streak snapped in coming up a rebound shy against Butler, Jenny Nkem Womsi got back on track in posting her 20th of the season in pouring in 16 points and grabbing 15 rebounds helping lead Barton's plus-8 advantage on the boards.
A key spark to Barton's second half forty points was sophomore guard Morgan Meyers' 12 points, canning three fourth quarter triples in the fourth quarter helping Barton build a twenty-two point margin.
Brennan Kirchhoff added 6 points, 6 rebounds, and a tying team high five assists while Mikaela Hall came off the bench to add 7 points and 3 boards.
Seward County erased the three-point first quarter deficit with a 10-4 start to the second frame before feeling good into the locker room in outscoring Barton 9-3 in the final three minutes for a 33-28 edge.
Halima Salat led the first half charge with 10 points but was kept off the scoreboard in second half play as Barton's defense took over as the Saints shot just 33% in a nine point third frame and 13% in the final fourth quarter.
Lard's bucket along with Alissa Heskamp's trey and Womsi's five points including converting an And-1 put Barton in front for good after the ten point run at 40-35.
The Saints cut the lead to one with 2:29 left but Womsi's jumper and five straight from Lard including a triple closed the frame with seven straight for a 50-42 lead.
Meyers' triple, a pair of Womsi free throws, and Lard's third trey of the game kept the streak going as two Saint bench technical free throws sent Kirchhoff to the line stretching the lead out to 60-42.
Barton's over five minute, 17-0 run across the quarters ended on a Saint bucket at the 5:15 mark but Meyers' back-to-back long range splashes quickly squelched any potential momentum swing. Quezia Bertoni's elbow fifteen point jumper put the final Cougar points on the board and Barton's largest lead of 22 coming with 2:04 remaining.
Joining Salat in double figures for the Saints, D'Arrah Allen led the team with 14 points and 8 rebounds while De'Shawnti Thomas finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds.
Game Notes:
- Womsi's 15 rebounds marked the 24th time this season of exceeding 10 or more rebounds
- Womsi's 16 points was the 9th straight game of scoring in double-figures and 23rd time this season
Record Book Watch and Impacts:
Morgan Meyers: 5th in made career three-pointers (107 *20 from Kristine Silaraja' 2007-09 total)
Brennan Kirchhoff: 6th in made career three-pointers (104 *25 from Kristine Silaraja' 2007-09 total)
Jenny Nkem Womsi:
- 5th in single season rebounds (354 *2 from Beth Lebsack's 356 during 1981-82 season, 13 from Wendy Okeson's 367 during 1999-00 season)
- 3rd in single season defensive rebounds (254 *11 from Taylor Regan's 265 during 2018-19 season)
- 3rd in career rebounds (648 *49 from Taylor Regan's 697 total from 2017-19 seasons)
- 7th in career FT attempts (275 *19 from Taylor Regan's 294 total from the 2017-19 seasons)
- 7th in career made FT (192 *17 from Nicole Eitzmann's 209 total from 1993-95 seasons)